Differance; Derrida’s Deconstruction

Philosophy, like many other sciences, grows and develops by reflecting on its historical background. Different philosophers, although not identical in their emphasis on referring to predecessors and confessing to adopting concepts from them in forming and establishing their own concepts, have all revealed their influences. Derrida is no exception to this rule. He consistently emphasized his deep connection with other philosophers in various ways. His remark in a 1986 interview with Jean Wahl that “Yes, many of the things I said and perhaps even all of them existed before” (Derrida, 1988, p. 93) confirms this matter. In this regard, he perhaps goes further than other philosophers in engaging with overlooked intellectual fields and thinkers less mentioned in the history of thought. This way, he regards the entire tradition, everything passed down to us, as fertile ground for renewed growth (Derrida, 2002, pp. 97-99). Derrida’s continuous reference to works and texts in various fields indicates his adherence to this view. Regardless of the fact that, like other thinkers, he usually dialogued with tradition, the more important point is that the very nature of tradition, the manner of dialogue with it, the extent of its presence and dominance, and the logic, structure, and language it employs are inseparable parts of his philosophy.