Structuralism/post-structalism, 1. Origins - Structuralism is derived from linguistics and as such subscribes to an Aristotelian epistemology that believes in the discovery of reliable/concrete truths through the use of the scientific method, system, and reason. On the other hand, poststructuralism hails from philosophy and consequently is skeptical concerning the existence of absolute truth or reliable knowledge. 2. Tone and Style - Due to the scientific outlook that characterizes structuralist criticism, writing by structuralists is often detached and anonymous, whereas post-structuralist writing is much more connected to the text and is clearly the creation of the author. 3. Attitude to Language - Whereas structuralists view the world and reality as constructed through the orderly system of language, post-structuralists see a certain anxiety in the reliance on language as the path to knowledge. Because post-structuralists see meaning as fluid, they emphasize the lack of attachment between the verbal sign and the idea or concept to which it is supposed to refer. This free play of meaning breaks down the concept of signifier/signified in that the relationship can be compromised when everything becomes a signifier -- a sort of chain effect with no beginning or end, or when there are multiple elements on either side of the relationship. The idea that words cannot be defined without viewing them in terms of their opposites also troubles post-structuralists in that this relational nature of language defies the possibility of ‘pure’ or ‘true’ meaning. In the same way that words are influenced by other words, they are also contaminated by their own histories. Since language does not take place within a vacuum -- the very history or connotation of words influences how they are used in present day. 4. Aims - Structuralism is constantly searching for ways to describe the world through the scientific method. Structurali...
