The Other Heading: Reflections on Today's Europe (Studies in Continental Thought

by Jacques Derrida

Prompted by the unification of Europe in 1992 and by recent events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, Jacques Derrida begins this compelling essay on contemporary world politics with the issue of European identity. What, he asks, is Europe? How has Europe traditionally been defined and how is the current world situation changing that definition? Might the prospects of a New Europe demand not only a new definition of European identity but also a new way of thinking identity itself?

Navigating in and through texts of Marx, Husserl, and especially Valery, Derrida seeks a redefinition of European identity that includes respect both for difference and for universal values. The Other Heading appeals eloquently for a sustained effort at thinking through the complexity and the multiple dangers and opportunities of the contemporary world situation without resorting to easy or hasty solutions.

Genres: Philosophy

196 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher best known for developing deconstruction, a method of critical analysis that questioned the stability of meaning in language, texts, and Western metaphysical thought. Born in Algeria, he studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he was influenced by philosophers such as Heidegger, Husserl, and Levinas. His groundbreaking works, including Of Grammatology (1967), Writing and Difference (1967), and Speech and Phenomena (1967), positioned him at the center of intellectual debates on language, meaning, and interpretation.
Derrida argued that Western philosophy was structured around binary oppositions—such as speech over writing, presence over absence, or reason over emotion—that falsely privileged one term over the other. He introduced the concept of différance, which suggests that meaning is constantly deferred and never fully present, destabilizing the idea of fixed truth. His work engaged with a wide range of disciplines, including literature, psychoanalysis, political theory, and law, challenging conventional ways of thinking and interpretation.
Throughout his career, Derrida continued to explore ethical and political questions, particularly in works such as Specters of Marx (1993) and The Politics of Friendship (1994), which addressed democracy, justice, and responsibility. He held academic positions at institutions such as the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and the University of California, Irvine, and remained an influential figure in both European and American intellectual circles. Despite criticism for his complex writing style and abstract concepts, Derrida’s ideas have left a lasting impact on contemporary philosophy, literary theory, and cultural criticism, reshaping the way meaning and language are understood in the modern world.

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive and too much jargon. Even though I'm familiar with the terminology, I had to work to get through it. The content was nothing I haven't heard before. Granted, this was written a long time ago so perhaps his ideas have simply become a regular part of an education curriculum. Still, I feel as though I gained little from reading this text.

Essentially, he uses a navigation metaphor as a means to analyze Europe and its culture. The argument is that identity is complex, and that one is never entirely part of one's own culture nor entirely different from it. He celebrates the complexity of identity. He most heavily cites Valery, but also considers some Marx and Husserl.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

My last Derrida. Will enough, finally, always already have been enough? I don't care any more.