New researches in Islamic humanities studies

New researches in Islamic humanities studies

The Differance Engine Large Language Models and Poststructuralism

Document Type : Original Article

Author
David. J Gunkel
Professor, Department of Philosophy and Ethics, College of Information and Communication Technology, Northern Illinois University, United States of America
10.22034/api.2026.735002
Abstract
Objective: This paper argues that large language models (LLMs), such as transformer-based architectures like GPT, represent a practical actualization of Jacques Derrida's concept of différance.
Method: Drawing on the framework of poststructuralist theory and semiotics, the study examines how LLMs generate meaningful content by computing statistical differences across vast textual corpora. This analysis foregrounds the computational enactment of processes analogous to Derridean spacing, temporalization, and trace.
Results: The paper demonstrates that LLMs can be understood as "différance engines," computationally enacting the very mechanisms theorized by Derrida. It further elaborates on the philosophical consequences of this alignment, particularly the challenges it poses to logocentrism, authorship, and the metaphysics of presence. In addressing three potential criticisms, the paper contends that applying Derrida's work in this context constitutes not a misappropriation, but a continuation and reiteration of its inherent logic.
Conclusions: The paper concludes by identifying three systemic limitations inherent to this framework and outlines opportunities for future research in this domain. Ultimately, it illustrates how LLMs can be interpreted through the lens of poststructuralist theory, while simultaneously demonstrating how that theory can be clarified and rendered more accessible through the technical operations of contemporary AI.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence, Jacques Derrida, Diffé
rance, Large Language Models, Philosophy of Technology, Poststructuralism, Semiotics
Subjects
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New researches in Islamic humanities studies
Volume 4, Issue 2
January 2026
Pages 1-34