Poststructuralism

1. Theoretical Difference between Structuralism and Post-
structuralism
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2. Contnd
• Is post-structuralism a rebellion, or continuation of
structuralism?
Structuralism: Language doesn't just reflect or record
the world: rather, it shapes it, so that 'how'
we see is 'what' we see.

3. Acc. to post-structuralists
the consequences of this belief are that we
enter a universe of radical uncertainity, since
we can have no access to any fixed landmark
which is beyond linguistic processing, and
hence we have no certain standard by which
to measure anything.

4. Fixed intellectual reference points are
permanently removed by properly taking on board what
structuralists said about language. (Analogy of the train)

5. gravity-free universe
decentred universe - we cannot know where
we are, since all concepts which defined
the centre, and hence also the margins,
have been 'deconstructed', or
undermined.

6. High anxiety about language - writing a letter to your
bank, or any use of language for higher purposes
Radical lnguistic scepticism is so typical of
deconstruction

7. origin
Structuralism deives ultimately from Linguistics- &
linguistics is a discipline with scientific outlook.
Structuralism inherits this scientific outlook.
Post-structuralism derives from philosophy. (“There
are no facts, only interpretations”, Nietzsche) Post-
structuralism inherits the scepticism of philosophy &
intensifies it.

8. Tone & Style
Structuralist writing: abstraction & generalization: a
detached, 'scientific coolness' of tone. (Eg., Barthes'
“Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narrative',
1966)
Post-structuralist writing: emotive. tone is urgent &
euphoric; & the style flamboyant& self-consciously
showy; titles may contain puns & allusions..

9. Attitude to Language
Structuralism believes that the world is constituted
through language... but for them language is an
orderly system...
Post-structuralism: if so, then, reality itself is textual.
Lang.is characterised by slippage & spillage;
meanings are like scattered or 'disseminated'

10. Project (the fundamental aims of each movement)
Structuralism questions our way of structuring &
categorising reality, & prompts us to break free of
habitual modes of perception/categorization... but we
can,thus, have a reliable view of things.
Post-structuralism distructs the very notion of
reason... the notion of the 'dissolved' or 'constructed'
subject... individual is merely a 'tissue of textualities'.

11. Thank You!