Derrida: A Very Short Introduction

ISBN-13: 9780192803450 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 144 str.

Lo European Institute Simon (Reader in European Philosophy

Opis

Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher, wrote such famed works as Writing and Difference, Speech and Phenomena, and On Grammatology, has made important contributions to both post-structuralism and post-modern philosophy, and indeed has challenged some of the unquestioned assumptions of our philosophical tradition. But he is most renowned--or condemned--for his critical technique known as "deconstruction." In this Very Short Introduction, Simon Glendinning explores both the difficulty and significance of the work of Derrida. He argues that Derrida's challenging ideas make a significant contribution to, and providing a powerful reading of, our philosophical heritage. Defending Derrida against many of the attacks from the analytical philosophical community, he attempts to show why Derrida's work causes such extreme reactions. The author explains Derrida's distinctive mode of engagement with our philosophical tradition, and contends that this is not a merely negative thing. By exploring his most famous and influential texts, Glendinning shows how and why Derrida's work of deconstruction is inspired not by a "critical frenzy," but by a loving respect for philosophy.

Recenzje

Glendinnings book is dense and fast-paced; although extensive philosophical knowledge is not assumed, its readers are required to assimilate complex ideas at quite some speed and this in itself will be enough to deter some. However, Glendinnings implied reader is perhaps not the philosophical novice, rather the curious student or scholar made wary by Derridas reputation and the hostility of the tradition. In this case, Glendinnings clarity and rigour, his commitment to careful reading, and his skilful mediation between Derridas voluminous back-catalogue and the inexperienced reader will be sufficient to engage and stimulate new readers and new readings of Derridas work.

O autorze

Simon Glendinning is a Reader in European Philosophy in the European Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of On Being with Others: Heidegger-Derrida-Wittgenstein (Routledge, 1998), The Idea of Continental Philosophy (EUP, 2006) and In the Name of Phenomenology (Routledge, 2007). He is also the editor of The Edinburgh Encyclopedia of Continental Philosophy (EUP, 1999), Arguing with Derrida (Blackwells, 2001), and (with Robert Eaglestone) Derrida's Legacies: Literature and Philosophy (Routledge, 2008). He has contributed essays to numerous books and journals and is currently working on topics in the philosophy of Europe.