Deconstruction as Method in Political Theory

While deconstruction has been put to use by some discourse theorists and normative political theorists, deconstruction is largely ignored by political scientists and often also by political theorists. This article examines not the larger question of deconstruction and politics, but the narrower question of the methodological issues surrounding the use of deconstruction as a method in political analysis. I lay out the basic features of deconstruction, first by considering its status as a method and second by examining the basic moves of a deconstructive reading. I provide an example of deconstruction from Derrida's work, namely the notion of iterability and his deconstruction of the event of 9/11. The aim is not simply to present an example of the use of deconstruction, but to examine an important methodological issue, specifically the relationship between, on one side, a theory or method and, on the other side, the particular applications of the theory or method. I argue that we should think of this relationship as one of mutual articulation, and that deconstruction is particularly useful for shedding light on this.