“Deconstruction As Social Critique: Derrida On Marx And The New World Order” By Moishe Postone: Summary and Critique

Derrida’s Theoretical Intervention: Addressing the Post-Cold War Era

• Jacques Derrida’s Specters of Marx offers a critique of neoliberal triumphalism following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Marxism’s perceived death (Postone, 1998, p. 370).
• Derrida introduces the concept of spectrality to question the present order and calls for a new International to resist economic and political neo-liberalism (p. 371).
• His strategy critiques Marxism by separating a “spirit of Marx” from its dogmatic and ontological elements, emphasizing the emancipatory potential of Marx’s ideas (p. 372).

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Spectrality: Temporal Disjunctures and the Critique of Presentism

• Derrida’s concept of spectrality highlights non-identical temporalities, contrasting the “chain of presents” with the lingering impact of the past and aspirations for a different future (p. 373).
• Spectrality serves as a political framework to critique homogeneous time and presentism while advocating justice that transcends calculative systems rooted in vengeance (pp. 373-374).

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Justice and Responsibility: Beyond Traditional Politics

• Derrida connects spectrality to a messianic notion of justice, opposing traditional notions of law and vengeance by envisioning justice as tied to the otherness of the future (pp. 375-376).
• This critique underpins his advocacy for a politics that breaks with the present, emphasizing memory and responsibility to the past and future victims of systemic injustices (p. 374).

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Marx’s Legacy and Neo-Liberal Critiques

• Derrida frames his critique in opposition to neo-liberal ideologies like Fukuyama’s End of History, which celebrates capitalism as history’s culmination (pp. 376-377).
• He emphasizes the failures of neoliberalism through the “ten plagues” of the new world order, including unemployment, economic inequality, and international crises, asserting that global capitalism exacerbates oppression (pp. 378-379).

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Spectrality and Marxism: Tensions and Limitations

• Derrida’s appropriation of Marx centers on the tension between Marxism’s emancipatory potential and its ontological rigidity (p. 380).
• He critiques traditional Marxist teleology and its presentism, arguing for a critique that integrates the spectral’s disruption of historical continuity (pp. 380-381).

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Postone’s Critique of Derrida: Social and Historical Determinacy

• Postone argues that Derrida’s spectrality lacks historical specificity and cannot adequately critique global capitalism’s structural dynamics (p. 383).
• A meaningful critique, according to Postone, requires grounding in historically determinate categories like Marx’s analysis of capitalism as a system of social mediation, not just abstract concepts like spectrality (pp. 384-385).

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The Need for a Reflexive Social Theory

• Postone critiques Derrida for failing to link his critique of neoliberalism to a self-reflexive theoretical framework that explains capitalism’s historical dynamics (p. 386).
• He suggests that Derrida’s approach risks affirming the same presentism it seeks to critique, as it does not provide the conceptual tools for imagining a determinate, emancipatory future (p. 387).

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Conclusion: Toward a More Grounded Critical Theory

• While Postone acknowledges Derrida’s important critique of neoliberal triumphalism and traditional Marxism, he calls for a more historically and socially specific approach.
• This critique should articulate a determinate possibility for transformation within the current system, integrating Derrida’s insights with Marx’s historical materialism to address contemporary global challenges effectively (p. 387).

1. Expanding Deconstruction into Socio-Political Critique

• Postone demonstrates how Derrida extends deconstruction beyond its textual roots to critique global capitalism and neoliberalism.
• By incorporating spectrality, Derrida critiques presentism, challenging fixed narratives of history and emphasizing non-linear, discontinuous temporalities (Postone, 1998, pp. 372-374).
• This approach aligns deconstruction with political theory, making it relevant for critiques of modern socio-political structures.

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2. Challenging Traditional Marxism through Deconstruction

• Postone highlights Derrida’s critique of ontological and dogmatic Marxism, separating the “spirit of Marx” from its institutionalized forms (p. 372).
• Derrida’s work redefines Marxism, linking it to the hauntology of justice and emphasizing the emancipatory potential of Marx’s ideas over deterministic or teleological interpretations (pp. 375-377).

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3. Contribution to Poststructuralism

• Derrida’s focus on justice beyond right and his critique of teleological eschatology contribute to poststructuralist debates on law, ethics, and governance (p. 376).
• His messianic hope introduces a non-content-based promise of transformation, reinforcing poststructuralist skepticism of grand narratives (p. 375).

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4. Integrating Philosophy with Critical Social Theory

• Derrida bridges the gap between critical social theory and philosophy, as his critique of global capitalism addresses material inequalities alongside metaphysical concerns (pp. 376-378).
• This synthesis expands the relevance of literary theory to empirical and historical contexts, emphasizing the political implications of theoretical discourse.

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5. Critique of Metaphysics and Homogeneous Temporality

• Derrida’s deconstruction of metaphysics of presence—such as substance, essence, and teleology—intersects with literary theory by challenging the fixity of narrative structures and time (pp. 373-374).
• Postone expands this critique by highlighting the failure of traditional Marxist and neoliberal ideologies to break from such metaphysical constructs (p. 380).

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6. Influence on Hauntology in Contemporary Theories

• Derrida’s hauntology redefines notions of being and presence, offering a framework for analyzing absence, loss, and deferred futures (p. 372).
• This concept influences literary theories dealing with memory, temporality, and postcolonial studies, which grapple with the spectral persistence of historical injustices.

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7. Renewing Marxist Literary Criticism

• Postone situates Derrida’s reinterpretation of Marx as a critique of commodity fetishism, showing its relevance to understanding the cultural production and consumption under capitalism (pp. 384-385).
• Derrida’s approach reinvigorates Marxist criticism by addressing how social relations are mediated and mystified in cultural texts.

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8. Critique of Totality in Structuralism

• By rejecting structuralist totality, Derrida aligns with poststructuralism, proposing a fragmented, spectral alternative that allows for the coexistence of multiple temporalities (pp. 386-387).
• This critique is vital for literary theories focusing on decentered subjectivities and non-linear narratives.

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9. Influence on Postmodern and Postcolonial Theories

• Derrida’s emphasis on the New International—a decentralized, non-hierarchical movement—provides a model for postmodern theories that resist traditional power structures (pp. 377-378).
• His critique of presentism and emphasis on spectral justice also resonate with postcolonial theories, which address the lingering effects of colonial histories (p. 375).

1. Lack of Empirical Grounding

• Postone critiques Derrida’s approach for being too abstract and socially indeterminate, failing to link spectrality to concrete historical and social dynamics (Postone, 1998, pp. 384-385).
• Derrida’s descriptive critique of neoliberalism (e.g., the “ten plagues”) lacks a framework to explain the interrelatedness of these phenomena (p. 379).

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2. Insufficient Reflexivity

• The work lacks a self-reflexive critique that grounds its theoretical categories in the material conditions it seeks to address, undermining its relevance to real-world analyses (p. 386).
• Derrida avoids addressing how his critique relates to Marx’s historically specific categories, such as labor and capital, leading to theoretical vagueness (pp. 386-387).

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3. Overreliance on Spectrality

• The concept of spectrality, while innovative, is criticized for being too broad and undifferentiated, making it insufficient to analyze specific forms of domination or historical patterns (pp. 385-386).
• Spectrality fails to distinguish between the reconstitution of present time and its undermining, which are critical for understanding systemic changes (p. 386).

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4. Misreading of Marx

• Postone argues that Derrida misinterprets Marx’s critique, conflating it with traditional Marxist teleology and ontology (p. 384).
• Derrida’s reading of Marx through phenomenological lenses leads to a reductionist critique, ignoring Marx’s emphasis on historically specific forms of social relations (p. 385).

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5. Overemphasis on Philosophy

• Postone contends that Derrida’s critique remains philosophically bound, limiting its capacity to address socio-economic realities and material conditions effectively (p. 387).
• The focus on deconstructing metaphysical categories neglects the structural and systemic dynamics of global capitalism (pp. 384-385).

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6. Weak Engagement with Capitalism’s Dynamics

• Derrida’s critique does not sufficiently analyze the historical dynamic of capitalism, such as its mechanisms of exploitation and accumulation (p. 379).
• By relying on abstract notions like hauntology, Derrida risks reinforcing the same presentism and totality he seeks to dismantle (p. 386).

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7. Theoretical Inconsistencies

• Derrida’s rejection of historical teleology conflicts with his use of Marx’s emancipatory spirit, creating a tension between messianic hope and historical materialism (pp. 375-377).
• Postone highlights that Derrida juxtaposes elements of Marxist analysis with deconstruction without adequately reconciling their differences (p. 384).

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8. Limited Practical Applicability

• Derrida’s proposal of a New International, while conceptually intriguing, lacks specificity regarding how such movements would operate or achieve systemic change (p. 378).
• The absence of practical strategies for confronting global capitalism weakens the political utility of Derrida’s critique (p. 387).