Dialogues and Criticism
1. Dialogue with Derrida
OCE comes close to Jacques Derrida in recognizing that there is no "full presence" (meaning is never completely given). But he distances himself from it by rejecting the idea that "there is no out-of-text". For OCE, there is a lot of "out-of-text": all material that has not yet been registered.
"Material difference exists before any meaning, but without this implying a mute and indifferent reality."
Pontos Robustos
- Avoid linguistic idealism (the world is not made of words).
- Recognizes the materiality of the inscription (writing is a physical act).
- It clearly distinguishes between what exists (ontology) and what we know (epistemology).
Reception Weaknesses
It can be difficult to accept that a "mark" (e.g. footprint) is not a sign until it is interpreted. Common sense tends to see signs everywhere.
2. Criticism of Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics (Gadamer, Ricoeur) sees the world as something to be interpreted. OCE says that the world is something to be inscribed. The difference is subtle but crucial: interpreting is searching for a meaning that is already there; to inscribe is to create meaning from a material difference.
Three Proposed Ruptures
- Against the Previous Sense: Things have no meaning "in themselves".
- For the Production of Meaning: Meaning is produced by the work of inscription.
- Due to the Materiality of the Sign: The sign is not an ethereal idea; it is a physical mark on a support.