If you have two opposites can one opposite be Superior to the other, or do opposites always have to be equal?

Question

I'm not talking about any opposites in particular, I would just like to know if it is possible for one opposite to be superior to the other opposite? For example would it be possible for me to say something like this opposite (love) is superior to the other opposite (hate)? If so is it also possible for me to say that two opposites are equal to eachother?

Answer 1

It depends on your philosophical/contextual grounding...

  To say, "good" is superior to "bad" (or vice versa) or that "good" is equal to "bad," for example, would more likely stem from personal views.  There is nothing inherent within the words themselves that would make either superior or equal. 

Although according to Saussure, words only derive their meaning in relation to their opposites (i.e. woman and man), and I think it's pretty safe to assume that historically speaking this dichotomy still resonant in structural linguistics stems from Plato.  And of course Plato would say one is always superior.

  And if you are a real post-modern deconstructionist, well, what does 'opposite' really MEAN anyway??