More on binary oppositions

by J. P. Mohan

It might behoove students of Plato (like ourselves) to extrapolate Derrida's discussion of binary oppositions (and their faulty nature) and look at some of the binaries that saturate our immediate universe. Let's look at a few basic oppositions:

To most, the problematic underpinnings of this list should be readily apparent. These are always presented as oppositions, but they are, fundamentally, not. Do "original" and "copy" really exist on an equal plane? No, of course not--Plato shows this in Phaedrus. Are they always and entirely distinct? No. How often are we, for example, able to distinguish the original from the copy in art, literature, or music? Is the original always superior to the copy?

Hierarchical relationships abound in these oppositions. Writing and speech are not equal, as we've already pointed out. The relationship of father to son is usually one of dominance, the ruler and the ruled. Further down the list we find relationships shot through with politically volatile connotations. Male versus female. Straight versus queer. White versus black. No one can reasonably argue that these relationships are egalitarian in our society. Sexual orientation is a timely example.

These distinctions are not so distinct, and our world is more grey than black or white, but we still use binary oppositions in lieu of a more effective and accurate method of identifying the people and things around us.

For a longer list of binaries, click here.