Full Idea
The tradition of conceiving being in terms of persisting presence, and meaning in terms of pure intelligibility or logos potentially present to the mind, finds itself dismantled by resources internal to its own construction.
Gist of Idea
The idea of being as persistent presence, and meaning as conscious intelligibility, are self-destructive
Source
report of Jacques Derrida (works [1990]) by Simon Glendinning - Derrida: A Very Short Introduction 6
Book Reference
Glendinning,Simon: 'Derrida: a Very Short Intro' [OUP 2011], p.73
A Reaction
[compressed] Glendinning says this is the basic meaning of de-construction. My personal reading of this is that Aristotle is right, and grand talk of Being is hopeless, so we should just aim to understand objects. I also believe in propositions.
Related Idea
Idea 578 Cratylus decided speech was hopeless, and his only expression was the movement of a finger [Cratylus, by Aristotle]