What criticisms did Anglo-American philosophers make about Jacques Derrida’s writing?

Jacques Derrida’s work, while highly influential, faced significant opposition from philosophers within the Anglo-American tradition. Critics frequently leveled the following charges against his writing and the practice of deconstruction:

• Incomprehensibility and Obscurantism: Many critics dismissed his work as "obscurantist wordplay," arguing that his writing was fundamentally incomprehensible.12
• Triviality or Falsity: When his claims were deemed intelligible, opponents often characterized them as either trivial or false.12
• Antirationalism and Nihilism: Derrida was frequently portrayed as an antirational and nihilistic figure who opposed "serious" philosophical inquiry. Some critics specifically viewed his approach as a nihilistic endorsement of radical epistemic relativism.12
• Lack of Historical and Political Context: Critics accused his work of being ahistorical and apolitical.2
• Methodological Vagueness: Some observers noted that while Derrida proposed "displacing" binary oppositions, the practical details of how to "reinscribe" these concepts were never clearly defined, leaving practitioners feeling directionless regarding how philosophy should proceed.3

These tensions were famously highlighted in 1992, when a group of philosophers protested the University of Cambridge’s decision to award Derrida an honorary doctorate.1