Echographies of Television: Filmed Interviews

by Jacques Derrida, Bernard Stiegler, Jennifer Bajorek (Translator)

In this important new book, Jacques Derrida talks with Bernard Stiegler about the effect of teletechnologies on our philosophical and political moment. Improvising before a camera, the two philosophers are confronted by the very technologies they discuss and so are forced to address all the more directly the urgent questions that they raise. What does it mean to speak of the present in a situation of "live" recording? How can we respond, responsibly, to a question when we know that the so-called "natural" conditions of expression, discussion, reflection, and deliberation have been breached?
As Derrida and Stiegler discuss the role of teletechnologies in modern society, the political implications of Derrida's thought become apparent. Drawing on recent events in Europe, Derrida and Stiegler explore the impact of television and the internet on our understanding of the state, its borders and citizenship. Their discussion examines the relationship between the juridical and the technical, and it shows how new technologies for manipulating and transmitting images have influenced our notions of democracy, history and the body. The book opens with a shorter interview with Derrida on the news media, and closes with a provocative essay by Stiegler on the epistemology of digital photography.
In Echographies of Television , Derrida and Stiegler open up questions that are of key social and political importance. Their book will be of great interest to all those already familiar with Derrida's work, as well as to students and scholars of philosophy, literature, sociology and media studies.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

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

[Ario · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 star, even though the review should be more toward the 4.5. the reason of not being perfection is due to the fact that philosophically speaking, this book is an addendum to what Derrida was doing in 1993 (i.e. Spectres of Marx). All in all, two outstanding thinkers which analyze the phenomenon of television and photography. Great work if you are in XX Ct. French Philosophy!

[Ft. Sheridan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Double Bah.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read into the phenomenon of spirit in technology.

[Giovanni Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while, but I’m glad I was deferred by these two...

[Micaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complica tanto todo, y da tantas vueltas, que entenderlo es un verdadero sacrificio. Derrida fue un importante filósofo, pero a mi criterio muy mal escritor.

[Marius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viața este întotdeauna deja cinema.