Truth is an idea that shines through even the greatest untruth. That is, as Plato describes it, something eternally divine, and attribute of the gods. Without truth there is no lie, no probability. And nevertheless the image of truth deteriorates—that is, the term—that we have of it and employ for it, in order that we might achieve some consensus over...

Thinking of thinking; i.e., reflection over thinking itself, is according to Aristotle the most exquisite task of philosophy and of humankind. Of Philosophy, because it leads to the realization of truth. Of mankind, because thinking alone sets human beings apart from all other animals. Fierce passions and feelings may also be found among other animals, in order to preserve themselves...

I was asked at the close of my last blog entry to clarify the word “logocentrism.” It stands at the center of Derrida’s thought, was perhaps an invention of his as well, and in fact brings a fundamentally new philosophical concern into the world. It is connected with feminism, in that women think fundamentally differently than do men. The composer...