The story of the Tower of Babel and its philosophical meaning, w/r/t post-structuralism.

1. T h e To w e r o f B a b e l a n d
L a n g u a ge
From Rashi to Derrida
Caro L.

2. The Beginning
After the flood, the descendents of Noach
decided to settle in the land of Shinar.
They (meaning all of humankind) had only one
language –
-
They decided to build a city and a tower up to
the sky –

3. Why?
-
- - - -
“They said , ‘Come, let us build ourselves a
city and a tower with its top in the
heavens, and let us make ourselves a
name, lest we be scattered upon the face
of the entire earth.’”

4. What ’s in a name?
What does “make a name for ourselves” mean?
Traditionally, the rabbis considered this desire a
sign of arrogance on their part -
They wanted to “make a name for themselves” as
people who could build a tower so grand it could
reach the heavens – it could reach God.

5. A New Approach
Contemporary philosophers see the account of the Tower of
Babel not as a religious story, but as a parable about the
nature of language.
The philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) wrote about
the Tower in terms of linguistics – the study of language.
While the rabbis considered this story an example of human
arrogance in trying to reach God,
Derrida thought of it as an example of humans’ aspirations
to perfectly convey meaning through a unified language –
an exercise doomed to failure.

6. What does that really mean?
Derrida’s contemporaries were concerned with studying how
language conveys meaning, and how meaning gets lost in
translation.
Earlier philosophers had tried to create a sort of perfect
language to use to talk about the structure of language – a
metalanguage.
Like the builders of the Tower, these linguists failed to reach
their goal of a perfect language. Derrida saw this failure as
history repeating itself.
A perfect language (a system of words that perfectly conveys
meaning) is impossible – humans can only approximate it.
According to Derrida, perfection is the exclusive realm of
God and any attempt to reach it will fail.

7. Destruction/Deconstruction
After the people built the tower, God came down to
examine it (
He saw that people, given the opportunity, would
use their collective power for self-aggrandizement.
He said (to his angels) “Come, let us descend and
confuse their language, so that one will not understand
the language of his companion.“
He did so and scattered them over the face of the
earth, ceasing the building of the tower.
The tower was therefore named Babel ( because
the language was confused

8. Destruction/Deconstruction
To traditional Jewish thinkers like Rashi, this story would
signify the arrogance of humans and the humility of God –
With the people attempting to construct a monument to
their “name” when given the chance,
and God demonstrating humility and understanding in
seeking counsel with his angels (Rashi:
and setting an example for justice by going to survey the
evidence before judging (Rashi:

9. Destruction/Deconstruction
Derrida, on the other hand, saw this not as religious
allegory
(God does x in this story to teach us y)
But as a literary example of the
inevitable deconstruction of systems of meaning
the impossibility of perfect translation (language
merging with meaning)
•the impossibility of a true metalanguage

10. The “Little” Tower of Babel, c. 1593
Pieter The Elder Bruegel