Balkinization: Jacques Derrida

Jacques Derrida

Jacques Derrida passed away this Friday in Paris. Derrida was an important influence in my intellectual life. I began my academic career exploring the connections between deconstruction and legal theory, and although I have since moved on to other topics, his work remains a powerful source of insight.

Derrida frustrated many scholars because his work did not fit easily into any distinct category or discipline. It is probably appropriate that he defied categorization because his work is very much about the limits of categories. He thought of himself as a philosopher, but in the United States his work was taken up mostly by literary critics. His own writings unapologetically mingled philosophy and literature. He loved the play of language and was fascinated by the uncontrollability of rhetoric. Derrida had a reputation as a difficult and even incomprehensible philosopher, but he could also write beautifully and playfully when he wanted to. Although accused of being a nihilist he was actually a humanist. Although accused of undermining liberal and Enlightenment values he was actually deeply devoted to them. He was at heart a critical thinker, one who sees inherent value in picking apart his own preconceptions and those of others. In this respect he was fully a child of the Enlightenment.

Perhaps the most important thing to say about Derrida is that he was not a Derridean. Other people made use of his work in ways that would probably have horrified him. He was what Richard Rorty once called an edifying philosopher-- not a system builder, or a great fashioner of airtight arguments, but one whose work incited and inspired others. The task of such a philosopher is not to reach closure but to pry apart, explore, upset, and stimulate. I have always regarded him as a disciple of Heraclitus, who believed that all things were in flux and that things that the mind regards as opposites are always connected to each other in interesting and unexpected ways.

Posted 3:13 PM by JB [link]

Comments:

Derrida was a kind and gracious person. I met him while a senior at Yale, in an interview arranged by my senior thesis advisor. While I had many questions for him, he was genuinely interested in me and in what I thought. I shall always remember him for how polite and charming he was, dressed in his impeccable charcoal grey suits.

Your assessment of him as a critical humanist I think is quite right. To play, the game, le jeu, was an idea he came back to repeatedly, but as you suggest in the model of Socrates, who sought by the game of questions to bring his listeners to self-knowledge.

David Joslin

# posted by

hyperborealis : 7:28 PM

Nicely done. I too spent intellectual time with Derrida -- did my master's thesis on him. It was the man's fate to be stuck to one of his words -- deconstruction -- when he invented many. As many as he needed to do whatever piece of work he was doing. Somehow, econo-mimesis isn't as quotable.

I saw him lecture once, at NYU. This was in the nineties. I was not into Derrida's move into auto-biography, so I wasn't thrilled by the lecture, but I liked it, and I liked that it was in French, and the auditorium was filled with students who had obviously not been told it was going to be in French.

Goodbye J.D.

# posted by

Roger Gathmann : 9:35 PM

"Derrida had a reputation as a difficult and even incomprehensible philosopher, but he could also write beautifully and playfully when he wanted to."

So does that mean that he was intentionally "incomprehensible"? Of what purpose is that? In a world naturally incomprehensible.

Your post was skillfully done and it reinforces my sense that with Derrida there was no there, there.

# posted by

David Sucher : 11:18 PM

Pet them, snuggle with these, not to mention dog leashes prepare these guys.

For every they make certain that you are unable to permit them to have almost any give diet that you simply can not consume. Incorporate insert them in numerous room in your home although you are drinking all your recipe.

You also need so that you give these items dog boots poorer part in daytime. Of having the unhealthy weight . puppy could be equipped to lose weight is that if there're exercising not to mention having to eat the appropriate way of measuring pet dog collars and leashes foodstuffs. Immediately you're letting them hold the correct amount liquid. It willaids to make sure they're hydrated all through play dog leashes time.

# posted by

Jack : 4:47 AM

Thanks for the info, maybe I can use this ended my tufted marketing and I've been use untold anulus media in run a interaction and they someone existing a big amend on me. Sbobet Casino

# posted by

Fastbet : 2:20 AM

This is a fantastic website and I can not recommend you guys enough. Full of useful resource and great layout very easy on the eyes. 2014 Luxury Cars

# posted by

Ariana Richardo : 12:39 AM

I think more updates and will be returning. I have filtered for qualified edifying substance of this calibre all through the past various hours. Luxury Train Travel

# posted by

Ariana Richardo : 12:45 AM

thanks so much i like very so much your post
حلي الاوريو الفطر الهندي صور تورتة حلى قهوه طريقة عمل السينابون طريقة عمل بلح الشام بيتزا هت كيكة الزبادي حلا سهل صور كيك
عجينة العشر دقائق
طريقة عمل الدونات طريقة عمل البان كيك طريقة عمل الكنافة طريقة عمل البسبوسة طريقة عمل الكيك طريقة عمل عجينة البيتزا فوائد القرفه

# posted by

Unknown : 7:21 AM

very amazing post, I like It, Thank you for presenting a wide variety of information that is very interesting to see in this artikle, good job adnd succes For you

karimun jawa
and furniture jepara
or mebel jepara
and kain tenun
Up tenun rangrang
and model baju tenun
and tenun sutra
and tenun troso,
and kain endek bali

# posted by

Admin : 7:51 PM

# posted by

Unknown : 12:11 PM

jual rumah murah tasikmalaya
shorelinewa
bdo
bts
assembly
here
newportbeachca
prh
samhsa
fhwa
onlinewebcheck
nixonlibrary
newportbeachca
alliancecreditunion
nasa
spaceflight
planning
bcgolfpages
transtats

# posted by

Unknown : 7:33 AM

i like post Thanks post
sumber semoga dengan
sumber,dan ini juga bisa naik
sumber, dan naik naik naik
sumber, untuk keterangan lebih lanjut di klik
sumber,
sumber,
sumber,
sumber,
sumber,
kunjungi website
sumber
sumber
sumber
gen99
klik disini
baca selengkapnya
lihat disini

# posted by

Unknown : 7:34 AM

reademore
lihat ini
sumber
kunjungi website
baca selengkapnya
reademore
lihat ini
sumber
kunjungi website
baca selengkapnya
reademore
lihat ini
sumber
kunjungi website
baca selengkapnya
reademore
lihat ini
Afkar888
sumber
baca selengkapnya

# posted by

Unknown : 7:34 AM

Agen Vimax
Vimax Original
Obat Pembesar Penis
Vimax Capsul Original
Vimax Obat Pembesar Penis
Obat Penyubur Sperma
Neosize XL Original
Vigrx Plus Original
Vakum Pembesar Penis
Obat Perangsang Wanita
Perangsang Wanita Pria
Blue Wizard Original
Obat Kuat Pria
Obat Kuat Tahan Lama
Viagra USA
Oil Pembesar Penis
Oil Pemanjang Penis
Alat Bantu Wanita
Alat Bantu Pria

# posted by

www.tokovimaxoriginal.com : 6:11 AM

chenlina20150616
jordan 8 bugs bunny
tods outlet store
louis vuitton
cheap ray bans
michael kors bag
true religion outlet
soccer jerseys
louis vuitton handbags
michael kors purse
air max 90
chanel outlet
abercrombie outlet
kids lebron shoes
coach outlet
michael kors handbags
jordan 8 playoffs
michael kors handbags
air jordan retro
hollister kids
burberry scarf
michael kors outlet online
retro jordans
michael kors outlet online
fendi outlet
michael kors outlet
michael kors outlet
louis vuitton handbags
hollister kids
louis vuitton
michael kors outlet
abercrombie and fitch
kate spade bags
toms shoes
cheap oakley sunglasses
oakley outlet
michael kors handbags
christian louboutin sale
coach outlet store online
michael kors outlet
michael kors outlet

# posted by

Unknown : 9:42 PM

Nice article, thanks for the information. It's very complete information. I will bookmark for next reference
jaring futsal | jaring golf | jaring pengaman proyek |
jaring pengaman bangunan | jaring pengaman gedung
http://www.jual-jaring.blogspot.com/
http://www.agen-jaring.blogspot.com/
http://www.pancasamudera-safetynet.blogspot.com/
http://www.toko-jaring.blogspot.com/
http://www.pusat-jaring.blogspot.com/
http://jualjaringpengaman.blogspot.com/
https://pancasamudera.wordpress.com/
https://pasangjaringfutsal.wordpress.com/
https://jualtambangmurah.wordpress.com/
https://tokojaring.wordpress.com/
https://jualjaringfutsal.wordpress.com/
https://jaringfutsal.wordpress.com/

# posted by

Unknown : 9:03 PM