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La pena di morte. Volume I: 1999-2000
Nel decennale della morte di Jacques Derrida, Jaca Book prosegue la pubblicazione dei seminari ancora inediti in Italia, dopo i due volumi de "La Bestia e il Sovrano". In questo primo volume dedicato alla pena di morte sono messi in gioco, nell’imminenza di una sanzione irreversibile, i concetti problematici di sovranità, eccezione e crudeltà. Il libro percorre quattro figure paradigmatiche (Socrate, Gesù, Hallâj, Giovanna d’Arco) e testi canonici: la Bibbia, Camus, Beccaria, Locke, Kant, Hugo, e anche testi giuridici successivi alla seconda guerra mondiale. Cuore pulsante del seminario è riconoscere che le tesi filosofiche e giuridiche a favore o contro la pena di morte si sono appellate agli stessi principi: «non è sufficiente decostruire la morte stessa». Si fa strada l’ipotesi che proprio la pena di morte obblighi a rimettere in discussione gli umanesimi filosofici, politici, teologici, economici che sostengono la nostra epoca.
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
Jacques Derrida
651 books1,797 followersJacques 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 7, 2014
Even when one disagrees, this work has a way of making one engage critically with the question of why no text in the western tradition has managed to philosophically critique the death penalty. I found this text to be one of the most enjoyable and easy to access in Derrida's body of work. The only major issue I have in the entire volume regards his analysis of Blanchot's "Literature and the Right to Death", but even Derrida admits the necessity of reading quite closely that particular essay, as it is the most challenging (and likely the most rewarding) of Blanchot's writing. Another wonderful translation by Peggy Kamuf, although I look forward to the forthcoming second volume from Elizabeth Rottenberg. Anyone with an interest in this text should definitely keep an eye out for the release of part two.
September 24, 2024
This was kinda disappointing... while referencing the history of the death penalty in the US, through Supreme Court decisions, individual cases, etc., and allusions to international law, the textual exegesis (of Hugo, etc.) seems unfit for the task of tackling this political issue.
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March 12, 2021"The death penalty is what is proper to the dignity of man." "The death penalty is of reason and law."
May 5, 2022
Me screaming inside: no more Derrida for class.
December 30, 2019
Interessantíssim primer llibre per aproximar-me al pensament de Derrida i per a pensar la Mort en majúscules i la mort infringida, aquella que es calcula i de la qual es decideix el mètode-dia-hora-minut-segon.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews