R.I.P. Derrida: The Idiot's Guide to Deconstruction

Deconstruction for Dummies

Rest in peace, Jacques Derrida. About a century ago, I went through a structuralism/ post-structuralism phase that included plowing through some of Derrida's writings (or "texts" as he would call them). I never felt that I grasped his deconstructionist thought entirely--though I'm sure he would point out that words like "grasped," "thought" and "entirely" are fraught with difficulty. As Derrida once said in an interview, " 'Thought' means nothing: it is the substantified void of a highly derivative ideality." Ahem. If you'd like to try your hand at deconstruction, here's a very simple (relatively speaking) guide to tearing anything apart:

How to Do Deconstruction

(via things)

An excellent article on Derrida in the New York Times (free registration required): What Derrida Really Meant