To understand why the correct answer is 2, let’s break down the assertion (A) and the reason (R) in detail:
Assertion (A): Deconstructive reading is apolitical.
Deconstructive reading, often associated with the philosopher Jacques Derrida, focuses on analyzing texts to reveal the inherent instability and ambiguity in their meanings. It aims to show that meanings are not fixed but rather fluid and contingent on various contexts.
Reason (R): Because it focuses exclusively on language. It primarily holds that all texts or linguistic structures contain within them a principle of destabilisation and hence it is difficult to pin down meaning. Such a reading, therefore, is unable to assign historical agency.
Reason (R) correctly identifies that deconstructive reading emphasizes the instability and fluidity of meaning within texts. This approach does focus heavily on language and linguistic structures. However, it also implies that because meanings are not fixed, historical and political contexts are seen as unstable and contingent rather than as definitive frameworks.
Year-wise PYQs
