In critical theory, a binary opposition is a pair of theoretical opposites, often organized in a hierarchy. In structuralism, the binary opposition is thought to be a powerful tool to explain the fundamental structure of human thought, culture, and language. On the contrary post-structuralists view the binary opposition not as a fundamental organizer of human thought worldwide, but as an artifact of Western thought. In the humanities and social sciences, critical theory has two quite different meanings with different origins and histories, one originating in social theory and the other in literary criticism. ... Structuralism is a set of theories in the humanities, social sciences and economics. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

A classic example of a binary opposition is the rational-emotional dichotomy, of which the West imbues rational with a higher status than emotional. Another example is the dichotomy between presence and absence, with presence occupying a higher status in Western thought than absence. The similarities between each of the "higher" Western concepts such as rational and presence, as well as others such as male (vs. female) and speech (vs. writing) are thought to show an influence of Western thought called logocentrism or phallogocentrism. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The critique of binary oppositions is an important part of post-feminism, post-colonialism, post-anarchism, and critical race theory, which argue that the perceived binary dichotomy between man/woman, civilized/savage, and caucasian/non-caucasian have perpetuated and legitimized Western power structures favoring "civilized" white men. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Post-anarchism or postanarchism is the term used to represent anarchist philosophies developed since the 1980s using post-structuralist and postmodernist approaches. ... Critical Race Theory is the school of thought that holds that race lies at the very nexus of American life. ...

Post-structural criticism of binary oppositions is not simply the reversal of the opposition, but its deconstruction, which is described as apolitical—that is, not intrinsically favoring one arm of a binary opposition over the other. Deconstruction is the "event" or "moment" at which a binary opposition is thought to contradict itself, and undermine its own authority. Although deconstruction can not explain how a rational basis for defending itself can then be maintained after it has removed any objective basis in structuralism it may have had. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... In contemporary philosophy and social sciences, the term deconstruction denotes a process by which the texts and languages of (particularly) Western philosophy appear to shift and complicate in meaning when read in light of the assumptions they suggest about and absences they reveal within themselves. ...

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See also

• Deconstruction
• Jacques Derrida