Why did Derrida argue that philosophical dualisms are value-laden?

Jacques Derrida argued that philosophical dualisms are value-laden because they are inherently "binary" and "hierarchical". In these pairs, Western philosophy traditionally assumes one term is primary, fundamental, or authentic, while the other is relegated to a secondary, derivative, or inferior status.12

Examples of these hierarchical oppositions include nature/culture, speech/writing, mind/body, and presence/absence. Derrida contended that this privileging is not a neutral observation but a product of a "logocentric" culture and the "metaphysics of presence," which seeks to ground truth in concepts like essence and origin while ignoring the roles of absence and difference.12

Through deconstruction, Derrida aimed to show that these hierarchies are not natural or necessary but are "constructions" within texts. By analyzing the tensions and contradictions within philosophical arguments, he sought to "displace" these oppositions—not by simply inverting them, but by demonstrating that neither term is truly primary, as both are inextricably bound up in a complex, shifting system of representation.12