Representasie en disseminasie

Abstract

A study of the works by Jacques Derrida inevitably leads to a reflection on the foundations of Western culture, foundations that are full of cracks: institutions are shattered; key concepts are questioned. Can anything be done about such a crisis? In this context Derrida becomes relevant. He is not concerned about the cracks in the foundations but questions the very possibility of foundations.
As opposed to the classical philosophic view saturating all facets of Western culture, viz. that foundations are determinable because they can be represented or made present as meaningful while the represented meaning can be appropriated and possessed, Derrida states that foundations are not determinable because of reading and writing between the lines, between words, in the margins as well as within the gaps between texts, and such dissemination of meaning comes to a radical dispossession of meaning. As against the homogeneity of the metaphysics of presence there is a heterogeneity of traces which indicates the simultaneity of presence and absence. Instead of the appropriation of rep­resented meaning there is dispossession due to disseminated meaning. Dissemination, unlike representation, does not depart from meaning but makes it possible.
This reading and writing operation is called deconstruction. Deconstruction can be totally ignored as irrelevant or it can be embraced as an interesting fashion or as an apparent ally of the ideologue or as an adventurous methodological renewal. As a matter of a fact, however, it emanates as a profound challenge to imaginative participation in a radical philosophic movement with a new mode of thinking about 'man' and 'world'.

Opsomming

Die bestudering van die werke van Jacques Derrida lei onvermydelik tot nadenke oor die grondslae van die Westerse kultuur. Dit is grondslae vol krake: instellinge le aan skerwe; sleutelbegrippe word betwyfel. Kan iets aan hierdie krisis gedoen word? In hierdie verband is Derrida relevant. Hy vra nie na die krake in die fondament nie, maar bevraagteken die fondament self. Teenoor die klassieke filosofiese opvatting, wat alle fasette van die Westerse kultuur deurdrenk, nl. dat grondslae bepaalbaar is omdat dit as sinvol gerepresenteer of aanwesig gestel word en die gerepresenteerde sin daarvan toegeeien en besit kan word, stel Derrida dit dat die grondslae nooit bepaalbaar is nie omdat daar altyd ook tussen die lyne, tussen die woorde en in die kantlyne, ook binne die gapings tussen tekste gelees en geskrywe word, sodat hierdie disseminasie van sin 'n vorm van onteiening is. Teenoor die homogeniteit van die metafisika van aanwesigheid is daar 'n heterogeniteit van spore wat daarop dui dat sin tegelyk aanwesig en afwesig is. In plaas van die toe-eiening van gerepresenteerde sin is daar onteiening vanwee gedissemineerde sin. Disseminasie, anders as representasie, beweeg nie weg van betekenis nie, maar maak dit moontlik. Hierdie lees- en skryfoperasie word dekonstruksie genoem. Dekonstruksie kan geheel en al geignoreer word as irrelevant, of daar kan beslag daarop gele word as 'n interessante modeverskynsel of as 'n skynbare bondgenoot vir die ideoloog of as 'n avontuurlike rnetodologiese vernuwing. Ten diepste kom dit egter neer op 'n uitdaging tot verbeelding­ryke deelname aan 'n radikale filosofiese beweging met 'n nuwe denkwyse oor 'mens' en 'wereld'.