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A concept that points to the inherent differences and deferral of meaning in language; suggests that words and signs can never fully summon forth what they mean, but can only be defined through their difference from other words and signs.

The idea that sounds and speech are inherently superior to, or more primary than, written language, which Derrida argued against, positing that writing is just as important in the construction of meaning.

The philosophical concept that assumes things exist in a state of presence and that this presence is the basis of knowledge. Derrida's deconstruction seeks to interrogate and disrupt this idea.

The idea that systems, structures, and texts inherently contain the seeds of their own undoing, and that they begin to unravel or deconstruct themselves over time without external critique.

Refers to the idea that meaning in language is spread out, multiple, and can never be fully controlled. The concept supports the view that texts have multiple interpretations that cannot be fixed.

In Derrida's philosophy, it suggests something that enhances or adds to another, but at the same time, points to a deficiency or lack within that which it supplements.

The condition in which a text can be interpreted in multiple, often conflicting ways, and no interpretation can be deemed final or authoritative.

The ability of a text or sign to be repeated or to take on different meanings in different contexts, thereby challenging the idea of an exclusive, fixed meaning.

Suggests all things can be seen as texts to be read and interpreted, and that there is no outside-text ('il n'y a pas de hors-texte'), implying everything is interwoven with meaning and reference.

An ideology that privileges logos (the word, reason, or ideal truth) and maintains the philosophical assumption that there is a rational, coherent foundation to reality and language.

Refers to the ghost-like nature of the 'other'; it complicates the idea of presence and absence by suggesting that which is absent can still have an effect or presence.

A philosophical movement and theory of literary criticism that questions traditional assumptions about certainty, identity, and truth; asserts that words can only refer to other words, and attempts to demonstrate how statements about any text subvert their own meanings.

Pairs of contrasting ideas or concepts that western thought often considers as oppositional and hierarchical, such as good/evil or mind/body. Derrida's deconstruction aims to dismantle these oppositions.

Describes situations that are irresolvable, paradoxical, and full of contradictions, which defy clear, binary resolution and instead invite ongoing interrogation.

The idea that meaning, understanding, and essence are delayed or deferred, pointing to the way language inherently postpones the moment of absolute understanding.

Refers to the mark of the absence of a presence, an always already absent past that refers to the never present. It signifies the removal of the origin and challenges the idea of a pure and untouched signified.

For Derrida, this involves the paradoxical process of internalizing and, at the same time, never fully accessing the other. It questions the possibility of truly 'knowing' the other.