How did Jacques Derrida develop the method called deconstruction?

Jacques Derrida developed the method of deconstruction as a rigorous critical examination of the fundamental conceptual "oppositions" that have defined Western philosophy since the time of the ancient Greeks.1

These oppositions are typically binary and hierarchical, where one term is assumed to be primary and the other secondary (e.g., speech/writing, nature/culture, or mind/body). To deconstruct an opposition, Derrida explored the tensions and contradictions within a text to demonstrate that the hierarchical ordering is not natural or necessary, but rather a "construction" of the text itself.1

His approach was deeply influenced by his analysis of language and meaning. Building on the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, Derrida coined the term différance—meaning both a difference and an act of deferring—to explain that linguistic meaning is never fully present but is instead endlessly deferred through an infinite chain of differences between words. By revealing these internal instabilities, Derrida aimed to "displace" these oppositions rather than simply invert them, showing that neither term is truly primary.1