How did Jacques Derrida criticize binary oppositions in Western philosophy?

Jacques Derrida criticized the binary oppositions inherent in Western philosophy—such as nature/culture, speech/writing, and mind/body—by demonstrating that they are not natural or necessary, but rather "constructions" within texts. These oppositions are typically hierarchical, assuming one term is primary or fundamental while the other is secondary or derivative.12

To "deconstruct" these pairs, Derrida explored the tensions and contradictions within philosophical texts, revealing that the hierarchical ordering is often undermined by the text's own implicit meanings or figurative language. Crucially, his goal was not to invert these hierarchies (e.g., claiming writing is superior to speech) but to "displace" them, showing that neither term is truly primary.12

Derrida argued that these oppositions stem from logocentrism and the "metaphysics of presence," which falsely assume that truth or meaning exists independently of language. Instead, he proposed that meaning is created through the "play" of differences between words, a process he termed différance—meaning both to differ and to defer—whereby meaning is never fully present but endlessly deferred in an infinite chain of linguistic contrasts.12