Concept of Fragmentation in Poststructuralism

 Fragmentation is a common phenomenon that we experience in the postmodern world, however, there is no precise definition of what fragmentation is. The aim of this research is to investigate the concept of fragmentation in poststructuralism and how it impacts the postmodern society. The article proves a few points. Firstly, the article states that Derrida’s philosophy has a profoundly positive notion of fragmentation in which fragmentation becomes as a borderline or limit process in which one is able to create one’s identity. Derrida’s position can be related to Deleuze and Guattari’s book “Thousand Plateaus” in which the authors describe fragmentation from a positive perspective, stating that it also has an influence to identity formation and that identity is produced via difference. On the other hand, in Deleuze and Guattari’s book “Anti-Oedipus” the concept of fragmentation is more related to capitalism and the negative definition of fragmentation which is related to isolation, atomization and loss of unity. The article reveals that Lyotard relates fragmentation with knowledge and performativity because knowledge and performativity become fractured and do not produce grand narratives which leads to fragmentation of the society. Guy Debord’s position shows that fragmentation is related to the society of the spectacle because it produces atomization of meaning and knowledge.