If identity and difference are understood as opposites, différance refers to difference so radical that it cannot be described as anything's opposite. The concept of différance was introduced by Jacques Derrida and has its origins in the phenomenological tradition; it is deeply intertwined with Derrida's theoretical project, deconstruction, as a whole. Difference and différance have gained wide circulation in literary and cultural studies, where they are used as tools to explore the complexity of supposed identities.

Martin Heidegger ...