Abstract

The aim of this article is to present Hegel’s theory of signs and its critical decoding proposed by Derrida. The criticism of Hegel`s theory understood as the “fulfillment of metaphysics” occupies an important place in Derrida`s project. Derrida tries to frame the limits of philosophy. He challenges Hegel`s concept for the following reason: Hegel presents signs as a domain of the subjective spirit in which sensuality and reasoning become united. Derrida connects this idea with the thesis of the precedence of truth over signs. In order to treat signs in this way, Hegel claims that speech is prior to writing. As a consequence Hegel`s theory of signs became classified by Derrida as “fonocentrism”. Derrida`s criticism is radical in a different sense than Hegel`s philosophy: he starts with the problem of the origins of philosophy and science while Hegel`s radicalism consists in an exhaustive project of philosophy which contains and explains all other fields.