Philosophy of Derrida

Continental European Philosophy

by Mark Dooley, Liam Kavanagh

For more than forty years Jacques Derrida unsettled and challenged the presumptions underlying our most fundamental philosophical, political, and ethical conventions. In The Philosophy of Derrida, Mark Dooley and Liam Kavanagh provide a succinct overview of his core philosophical ideas and a balanced appraisal of their lasting impact. The authors' analysis of Derrida's writings, especially the objectives of deconstruction, make his work clearly accessible. Dooley and Kavanagh also situate Derrida within historicist, hermeneutic, and linguistic thought. From his early work on Husserl, Hegel, and de Saussure to his final writings on justice, hospitality, and cosmopolitanism, Derrida is shown to have been grappling with the question of national, cultural, and personal identity and the notion of whether a "pure" identity has any real efficacy. Rather than an iconoclast for whom deconstruction equalled destruction, the Derrida that emerges in this study sheds light on our historical constructions to reveal that there is much about ourselves that we do not know.

Genres: Philosophy

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2006

About the author

Mark Dooley is an Irish philosopher, writer, journalist, public speaker and academic. He is also a regular radio broadcaster and guest of TV shows, and has in addition served as a speech writer. He has led a journalistic and an academic career simultaneously. He is a specialist of continental philosophy, philosophy of religion and theology. He wrote a study of Søren Kierkegaard's ethical, religious and cultural insights, and then moved on to interrogating conceptions of God and ethics, which led to the publication of two collections of essays. He then published a monograph on Roger Scruton and a collection of Scruton's texts, and was called by the Catholic hierarchy in Ireland to write about the ways forward for the Irish Catholic Church in the wake of the abuse revelations. In Moral Matters: A Philosophy of Homecoming, he develops his own philosophy and outlines his intellectual journey for the first time. Meanwhile, he is also a regular guest on the Irish radio and a columnist. [Wikipedia]

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 3 out of 5]

180812: i have never read derrida and know little of the controversial positions it is said he takes. i understand his own prose has a tendency to opacity, to jargon, but then i like neologisms and perhaps he is cursed through decadent descendants- certainly this work makes him sound clear, clear and misunderstood.

from the vitriol i have read against his work, if there is ever a case to illustrate how impassioned in denunciation our rational philosophers get… this sounds impossible to top. this is only a 3 in recognition of my own ignorance, though this does inspire me to read the man. sometime.

[Zach Waldis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dooley (and his coauthor?) have the difficult task of polishing a turd in giving a positive account of Jacques, and they manage to do it well. They give a summary of Derrida's work in a clear, accessible manner (in stark contrast to Derrida's own writing). It's an interesting thing, as Dooley has also written positively on conservative philosopher Roger Scruton, and seems to appreciate both Scruton and Derrida. A great summary for those wishing a survey of Derrida.

[Owlseyes]

https://europeanconservative.com/arti...

[isaac smith]

This is based on Matthew Halteman's 2008 NDPR review.

Dooley and Kavanagh's "The Philosophy of Derrida" considers Derrida's ideas, especially focusing on his thoughts about memory and identity. While it sheds light on Derrida's criticisms of traditional philosophy, some critics say it's too isolated and doesn't discuss ethics and politics clearly enough. The authors argue that Derrida's idea of deconstruction isn't about rejecting tradition outright, but rather about critically engaging with it, and constantly reevaluating philosophical, scientific, and political traditions. However, they portray Derrida as a hero without thoroughly examining his basic ideas, which leaves readers with unanswered questions about the broader implications of his theories.

[booker g · Rating 4 out of 5]

good, removed one star for the photo on the front as it makes him too cute