Why Deconstruct?
The central idea of this paper is by no means novel. My criticism of deconstruction is based on an argument that has been previously used by a number of authors. My object is to develop this argument a bit further.
When a theoretical concept currently in use is criticized and another is substituted for it, the original concept is shown to be no longer adequate to its original purpose and the advantages of the new concept are demonstrated. It is then proposed that, in the contexts that are relevant to the scholarly discourse in question, the new concept should replace the old, which may continue to be used in contexts of low theoretical relevance in everyday life. To criticize a concept does not necessarily mean to relegate it to the ash heap of history, but only to relativize it, to limit its usefulness to contexts that are not scientifically relevant.