Deconstruction-解构

Post-Structuralism/DeconstructionSomePost-structuralAssumptions•Post-structuralismis,asthenamesuggests,consequentuponStructuralism,withwhichmovementoneshouldhavesomefamiliarityinordertounderstandpost-structuralism.•1.Post-structuralismismarkedbyarejectionoftotalizing,essentialist,foundationalistconcepts.•a.atotalizingconceptputsallphenomenaunderoneexplanatoryconcept•b.anessentialistconceptsuggeststhatthereisarealitywhichexistsindependentof,beneathorbeyond,languageandideology•c.afoundationalistconceptsuggeststhatsignifyingsystemsarestableandunproblematicrepresentationsofaworldoffactwhichisisomorphicwithhumanthought.•2.Post-structuralismquestionstheconceptof“man”asdevelopedbyenlightenmentthoughtandidealistphilosophy.Ratherthanholdingthat“individuals”aresacred,separateandintact,theirmindstheonlytruerealmofmeaningandvalue,theirrightsindividualandinalienable,theirvalueandnaturerootedinauniversalandtranshistoricalessence,thepost-structuralviewholdsthatpersonsareculturallyanddiscursivelystructured,createdininteractionassituated,symbolicbeings.Thecommontermforapersonsoconceivedisa“subject”.•a.Subjectsarecreated,then,throughtheirculturalmeaningsandpractices,andoccupyvariousculturally-basedsitesofmeaning(asfamilymembers,asoccupationallyandeconomicallyandregionallydefined,asgenderedandofsexualorientation,asmembersofclubsorclientsofpsychotherapyorpresidentsoftheirschoolparents'organization,andonandon--everysiteevokingadifferentconfigurationoftheself,differentlanguageuses,differentfociofvalueandenergy,differentsocialpractices,andsoforth).•b.Subjectsarematerialbeings,embodiedandpresentinthephysicalworld,entrenchedinthematerialpracticesandstructuresoftheirsociety--working,playing,procreating,livingaspartsofthematerialsystemsofsociety.•c.Subjectsaresocialintheirveryorigin:theytaketheirmeaningandvalueandself-imagefromtheiridentitygroups,fromtheiractivitiesinsociety,fromtheirintimaterelations,fromthemultiplepoolsofcommonmeaningsandsymbolsandpracticeswhichtheysharevariouslywiththeirsub-culturalgroupsandwiththeirsocietyasalargerunit.•Post-structuralunderstandingsofpersonsaresometimesreferredtoas“anti-humanist”becausetheyareopposedtotheHumanistideathatpersonsareisolate,unified,largelyimmaterialbeings,andthathumanityistranscendent,universalandunchangeableinitsessence.•3.Post-structuralismsees“reality”asbeingmuchmorefragmented,diverse,tenuousandculture-specificthandoesstructuralism.Someconsequenceshavebeen,•a.poststructuralism’sgreaterattentiontospecifichistories,tothedetailsandlocalcontextualizationsofconcreteinstances;•b.agreateremphasisonthebody,theactualinsertionofthehumanintothetextureoftimeandhistory;•c.agreaterattentiontothespecificsofculturalworking,tothearenasofdiscourseandculturalpractice;•d.agreaterattentiontotheroleoflanguageandtextualityinourconstructionofrealityandidentity.•4.Post-structuralismderivesinpartfromasensethatweliveinalinguisticuniverse.Thismeans,inthefirstinstance,rejectingthetraditionalaesthetic,phenomenalistassumptionthatlanguageisa“transparent”mediumwhichhandsoverexperiencewholeandunproblematically;ina“linguistic”universe,“reality”isonlymediatedreality,andwhatitismediatedbyisgovernedbysuchthingsas:•a.thewaylanguageworks,bydifferenceforinstance;•b.theworldofdiscoursewhichgovernsourknowledgeandwayofspeakingaboutthesubjectunderdiscussion:wecanimagineonlywhatwecansymbolize,speakofonlywhatwehavelanguagefor,speakonlyinthewaysourrulesofdiscourseallowusto;•c.theworkingsofthe“mastertropes”ofmetaphor,metonymy,synecdocheandirony;•d.thestructureofideology,whichattemptsto“naturalize”powerrelationsandoursenseofhowtheworldisconfigured;•(ideology:asetofbeliefs,especiallythepoliticalbeliefsonwhichpeople,parties,orcountriesbasetheiractions)•e.thevariousculturalcodeswhichgovernourunderstandingsofourselves,ourplace,ourprocedures;•f.theideathatwethinkintermsofcertaintropes,andconstructmeaningintermsofgenres,sothatmeaningispre-channeledincertaintypified,identifiableways,whichrevealmoreabouttheirconstructionofmeaningthanaboutany“reality”beyondtherhetoricalconstructs.•Toputthisbriefly,weliveinaworldoflanguage,discourseandideology,noneofwhicharetransparent,allofwhichstructureoursenseofbeingandmeaning.•5.Allmeaningistextualandintertextual:thereisno“outsideofthetext,”asDerridaremarked.Everythingwecanknowisconstructedthroughsigns,governedbytherulesofdiscourseforthatareaofknowledge,andrelatedtoothertextsthroughfiliation,allusionandrepetition.Everytextexistsonlyinrelationtoothertexts;meaningcirculatesineconomiesofdiscourse.Thisunderstandingdoesnotmeanthatallrealityistextual,onlythatwhatwecanknowofit,andhowwecanknow,istextual,constructedthroughdiscourse,withallitsrules;throughsymbols,linguisticandotherwise;throughgrammar(s).•Discourseisamaterialpractice;thehumanisrootedinhistoricityandlivesthroughthebody.•InFoucault’sterms,theproductionofdiscourse,the(historical,material)wayweknowourworld,iscontrolled,selected,organizedanddistributedbyacertainnumberofprocedures.Discourseisregulatedbyrulesofexclusion,byinternalsystemsofcontrolanddel