Return to Saussure

  Introduction Derrida’s Of Grammatology opens not with a definition, but with a disruption. In the section “The Written Being / The Being Written,” Derrida begins to dismantle one of the foundational assumptions of Western metaphysics: that signs derive their meaning from a stable, pre-existing presence. Central to this metaphysical architecture is what he later terms the “transcendental signified”—the imagined, ultimate referent that anchors all signification. Why take aim at this concept so early? Because, as Derrida reveals, it haunts every structure of thought that presumes finality, closure, or origin. To understand how grammatology proceeds, one must first understand what it undoes. Rather than beginning with an abstraction, Derrida interrogates the written mark and its relation to absence, suggesting that what has traditionally been regarded as derivative—writing—is in fact the key to exposing the illusions of immediacy. In this article, we trace the genesis of the “tra...

"School of Athens"—detail showing Euclid. Introduction: Toward a Plurality of Foundations The idea that systems of thought operate according to internal principles has profound implications for how we approach truth, meaning, and the very structure of knowledge. Derrida’s critique of the transcendental signified —a term he deploys to name the illusory promise of a final, absolute meaning—is among the most influential contributions to 20th-century philosophy. However, if we are to take seriously the Saussurean insight that meaning arises only within a system of differences, then Derrida's own critique must also be considered as internal to the system of deconstruction. This article proposes a measured approach: rather than accepting différance as a metaphysical absolute, we should treat it as a system-relative insight, comparable to the foundational principles of Euclidean geometry or the transcendentals of medieval thought. By putting Derrida in dialogue with Eucli...

Introduction The "word" has long been treated as a fundamental and stable linguistic unit, but this assumption crumbles upon closer examination. André Martinet challenges this view, arguing that the "word" is not a universal linguistic category but a product of historical conventions shaped by writing. In Of Grammatology , Derrida engages with Martinet’s critique, initially hoping that structuralist and functionalist linguistics would challenge the primacy of speech over writing. However, he ultimately concludes that despite Martinet’s challenge to the word as an illusory concept, Martinet remains bound by logocentric assumptions. This article explores the interaction between Derrida and Martinet, focusing on how writing shapes our understanding of language, the distinction between "writing" and "arche-writing," and the implications of Derrida’s deconstruction for his critique of Martinet. Taking a reflexive approach—one that examines how D...