Understanding Derrida [Paperback]

Jacques Derrida continues to be the world's single most influential philosophical and literary theorist. He is also one of the most controversial and most complex. His own works and critical studies of his work proliferate, but where can a student, utterly new to the work of Derrida, start?

Understanding Derrida is written as an introduction to the full range of Derrida's key ideas and influences. It brings together the world's leading authorities on Derrida, each writing a short, accessible essay on one central aspect of his work. Framed by a clear introduction and a complete bibliography of Derrida's publications in English, the essays systematically analyze one aspect of Derrida's work, each essay including a quick summary of Derrida's books which have addressed this theme, guiding the student towards a direct engagement with Derrida's texts.

The essays cover language, metaphysics, the subject, politics, ethics, the decision, translation, religion, psychoanalysis, literature, art, and Derrida's seminal relationship to other philosophers, namely Husserl, Heidegger, Levinas, Hegel and Nietzsche.

Foreword Jacques Derrida1. Editor's Introduction Jack Reynolds and Jon RoffePart I: Themes in Derrida2. Language (Michael Naas, DePaul University)3. Metaphysics Christopher Norris, University of Cardiff 4. The Subject (Christina Howells, Oxford)5. Politics Paul Patton, University of New South Wales 6. Ethics Simon Critchley, University of Essex 7. Decision Jack Reynolds, University of Tasmania8. Translation Jon Roffe, University of Melbourne 9. Religion Kevin Hart, University of Notre Dame10. Psychoanalysis Matthew Sharpe, University of Auckland11. Literature Claire Colebrook, University of Edinburgh 12. Art (Julian Wolfreys, Uni of Florida)Part II: Derrida & Others13. Edmund Husserl David Allison, State University of New York14. Martin Heidegger Robert Bernasconi, University of Memphis15. Emmanuel Levinas Rosalyn DiprolS†