The Ethics of Deconstruction: Derrida and Levinas

by Simon Critchley

The Ethics of Deconstruction , Simon Critchley's first book, was originally published to great acclaim in 1992. The first book to argue for the ethical turn in Derrida's work, it powerfully shows how deconstruction has persuasive ethical consequences that are vital to our thinking through of questions of politics and democracy.

Moving away from using deconstruction to find the contradictions inherent in any text, Critchley concerns himself with the philosophical context the ethical impetus Derrida's ethics to be understood in relation to his engagement with the work of Levinas, and lays out the details of their philosophical confrontation.

New for this A new preface where Critchley reveals the origins, motivations, and reception of The Ethics of Deconstruction , plus three new appendices, which reflect upon and deppend the book's argument.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

Simon Critchley (born 27 February 1960 in Hertfordshire) is an English philosopher currently teaching at The New School. He works in continental philosophy. Critchley argues that philosophy commences in disappointment, either religious or political. These two axes may be said largely to inform his published work: religious disappointment raises the question of meaning and has to, as he sees it, deal with the problem of nihilism; political disappointment provokes the question of justice and raises the need for a coherent ethics [...]

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful companion to Levinas and Derrida. How he pulled an entire book out of the intersection between these two philosophers is beyond me, but he did and its actually quite easy to read. No small feat considering these two philosophers are typically viewed as being about as obtuse as you can get...his whole point is that deconstruction turns to mush without an ethical ground - Levinas gives Derrida an ethical leg to stand on...yet, I wonder if this domesticates deconstruction? Still, an easy book to get into, and really helped me understand both Levinas and Derrida a bit more.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning book. The basic (convincing) claim is that Derridean deconstruction leads to a political impasse unless supplemented by Levinas-ian ethical theory. Surprisingly lucid given that thesis; also Simon Critchley is in an Australian rock band or something.

[Gareth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. It brings clarity to two of the most challenging thinkers I have ever engaged with, although after reading this book the irony of such a statement may become clear. It offers an approach to the work of Derrida and Levinas that has the potential to resituate our approaches to the ethical and political that perhaps might fulfil the promise of the future yet to come.

[David Markwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon Critchley's The Ethics of Deconstruction: Derrida and Levinas not only provides excellent exegetical readings of two seminal French thinkers but also argues, effectively in my mind, for why we should read Derrida's work as ethical. Critchley's final chapter attempts to show the necessity of taking the ethical in Derrida and Levinas to the political. This third edition of the book adds a number of appendices which continue the theme of the final chapter.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic study that traces the mutual influence of Derrida and Levinas' philosophy. Critchley's writing is academic but accessible.

[Martine Berenpas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read on Levinas and Derrida.