How is logocentrism connected to the preference for speech over writing?

In Western philosophy, the preference for speech over writing is a manifestation of logocentrism—the assumption that a realm of truth exists independently of linguistic representation. This hierarchy is rooted in the "metaphysics of presence," which prioritizes concepts like essence, identity, and origin.1

Within this framework, speech is viewed as a more authentic form of language because it creates an illusion of immediate "presence," where a speaker’s intentions and ideas seem directly accessible. Conversely, writing is dismissed as secondary or derivative because it introduces distance, absence, and a greater risk of misunderstanding.1

Deconstruction challenges this by arguing that speech itself functions only through the same mechanisms of "absence" and "difference" traditionally attributed to writing. Because linguistic meaning is not fixed by an original intention but is instead endlessly deferred through a chain of differences—a process Derrida termed différance—neither speech nor writing can be considered primary. Ultimately, deconstruction seeks to displace this hierarchy, revealing that both are forms of a generalized "arche-writing" that encompasses all systems of representation.1