5.2.1 Derrida and Heidegger

    One of the essential places to start while approaching Derrida’s texts is in the works of very controversial and yet one of the most influential German philosophers Martin Heidegger (1889–1976). In Being and Time, Heidegger argued that the western thought has neglected or repressed the question of Being of beings (or entities) by failing to make the ontological difference between ‘ beings’ and Being. The metaphysical tradition of the western thought has always been concerned about ‘beings as beings’ (i.e. treating entities as entities, rather than their mode of existence) which has resulted in a deep crisis in the western civilization. Heidegger demands the destruction (Destruktion) of the Western philosophical tradition, which is not its destruction but total transformation. In his later works, Heidegger talks about the importance of the question of language in philosophy and points out that it is ‘language that speaks, not Man’ and that language is ‘the house of Being’. Heidegger’s own language is extremely dense and often very strange as if Heidegger is not just offering a critique of the language of western philosophy but reinventing it. Derrida continues – and critiques- the Heideggerian themes of radical rethinking of the very foundations of western thought by dismantling the metaphysical tradition and  raising the key question of language and reinvention of the language of western philosophy. While Heidegger argued that the neglect and repression of the question of Being of beings is a blind spot of the entire western thinking and dwelling in this question one can deconstruct the entire western tradition of philosophy, Derrida in the first book Of Grammatology (1968) argues that neglect and the repression of the question of writing in its conception of language as speech is another such blind-spot in the western thought and the rigorous pursuit of this question can similarly ‘deconstruct’ the tradition of western thinking.

Summary: The paragraph begins by discussing the work of Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher who argued that Western thought has neglected the question of Being. Heidegger believed that the Western philosophical tradition has focused on beings (or entities), such as tables, chairs, and people, rather than on Being itself. This neglect of Being has led to a crisis in Western civilization.

Heidegger called for the destruction (Destruktion) of the Western philosophical tradition, which he did not mean as a literal destruction, but rather as a total transformation. He believed that this transformation could be achieved by rethinking the question of Being and by paying more attention to the role of language in philosophy.

The paragraph then discusses the work of Jacques Derrida, a French philosopher who was influenced by Heidegger's work. Derrida agreed with Heidegger that the Western philosophical tradition has neglected the question of Being, but he also argued that the tradition has neglected the question of writing. Derrida believed that writing is just as important as speech in philosophy, and that the neglect of writing has led to a number of problems in Western thought.

In his book Of Grammatology, Derrida argued that the neglect of writing is a blind spot in Western thought. He believed that by rigorously pursuing the question of writing, we can deconstruct the tradition of Western thought and open up new possibilities for thinking.

In conclusion, the paragraph discusses the work of Heidegger and Derrida, two philosophers who have challenged the foundations of Western thought. Both Heidegger and Derrida argued that the Western philosophical tradition has neglected important questions, and they both called for a transformation of this tradition. However, they differed in their views on the specific questions that need to be addressed and the methods that should be used to achieve this transformation.

The above line refers to the fact that Heidegger and Derrida had different views on the specific questions that need to be addressed in order to transform the Western philosophical tradition.

Heidegger believed that the most important question to address is the question of Being. He argued that the Western philosophical tradition has been too focused on beings (or entities), such as tables, chairs, and people, and that this focus has led to a neglect of Being itself. He believed that by rethinking the question of Being, we can open up new possibilities for thinking and for understanding the world.

Derrida, on the other hand, believed that the most important question to address is the question of writing. He argued that the Western philosophical tradition has been too focused on speech, and that this focus has led to a neglect of writing. He believed that writing is just as important as speech in philosophy, and that the neglect of writing has led to a number of problems in Western thought.

In addition to differing on the specific questions that need to be addressed, Heidegger and Derrida also differed on the methods that should be used to achieve this transformation. Heidegger believed that the transformation should be achieved through a process of Destruktion, which he defined as "the dismantling of the metaphysical tradition." Derrida, on the other hand, believed that the transformation should be achieved through a process of deconstruction, which he defined as "the careful analysis of the hidden assumptions and implications of texts."

In conclusion, Heidegger and Derrida both believed that the Western philosophical tradition needed to be transformed, but they differed on the specific questions that needed to be addressed and the methods that should be used to achieve this transformation.