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Abstract
This article traces a genealogy of binary logic within Western philosophy, from its origins in Platonic metaphysics through to its deconstruction in poststructuralist theory. Drawing on the genealogical methods of Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault, it critiques how oppositional structures, such as mind/body, reason/emotion, and truth/error, have persisted through shifting intellectual paradigms while shaping knowledge, power, and subjectivity. Structuralist and linguistic theories are examined for their role in reinforcing binary meaning-making, while poststructural critiques (notably Derrida and Foucault) are explored for their attempts to subvert such hierarchies. However, the article argues that these critiques remain paradoxically ensnared within the same binary logic they seek to dismantle. Rather than proposing transcendence or universal escape, the article advocates for a reflexive philosophical posture; one that remains self-critical, historically situated, and attuned to the ambiguities of language and power. This approach neither denies difference nor dissolves meaning but unsettles binary hierarchies to make visible their epistemological and political consequences. The article contributes to contemporary theoretical debates in cultural studies, critical theory, and philosophy by offering a rigorous critique of binary reasoning and proposing a reflexive mode of thought that resists closure.
Submitted: September 3, 2025
Accepted: March 30, 2026
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Bidois, Vaughan A..
"The Possibility of Post binary Reflexivity: A Genealogy of Binary Logic in Western Philosophy."
Critical Humanities
5,
1
(2026).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33470/2836-3140.1096
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