T 3/19 Derrida, “Différance”; Positions 9-10

Topics: Difference and repetition, the impossibility of presence, critique of ontological difference

1. What are the two senses of Derrida’s term ‘différance’, and how do they relate to the theme of difference and repetition?

2. What is the metaphysics of presence and how, in Derrida’s view, is it undermined by différance? How does this pertain to his comments about the subject?

3. According to Derrida, why is Heidegger trapped within the metaphysics of presence?