Derrida’s Ideas on Postmodernism and Its Implications for Postmodern Philosophy of Education

Abstract

Human society is facing different kinds of challenges in this era of drastic social transformation. Since the advent of human civilizations, the world has witnessed new challenges and opportunities. The international community began its efforts in the 1990s to search for an educational philosophy that could meet the challenges of the 21st century. Similar initiatives were undertaken by various stakeholders in education in Nigeria. Modernism and postmodernism actually refer to this kind of social transformation that characterizes the new developments in society almost in all spheres. It is hard to classify any society or culture as purely modern or postmodern because, in most cases, there is a blending of both these ideologies. In this study, the researcher has studied the state of the philosophy of education in the context of modernism and postmodernism. I specifically explore the ideas of Jacques Derrida. Deconstruction is a method for understanding how some worldviews are oppressive in nature, favoring some while marginalizing others. Derrida’s deconstruction may not be regarded as a philosophical theory about language and reality but only as a new method for reading text. Derrida belongs to the side of post-modern critique, although he never makes implicit reference to the term postmodern. There are at least as many research programs which have their philosophical foundation in deconstruction. Derrida’s presupposition is indeed important as it tries to re-invent the idea of education as science and practice.