
Specters of Marx
The State of the Debt, the Work of Mourning and the New International
Jacques Derrida(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
2nd Edition
Will be published approx. on 16. February 2026
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-041-08371-9 (ISBN)
Description
Published shortly after the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet regime, Specters of Marx is one of Derrida's most interesting and prophetic books. Whilst many in the West heralded the triumph of liberal democracy and "the end of history", Derrida takes several steps back to argue that whilst Communism may have disappeared in much of the world, the questions posed by Marx continue to haunt us.
In his customary provocative style, he asks some uncomfortable questions: after the fall of Communism, can we preserve Marx's legacy of radicalism? How do we continue his philosophy of responsibility? Uncannily anticipating many of the challenges facing us today, Derrida argues that the capitalist system is plagued by a multitude of ills, including aggression, trade wars, debt, the exploitation of migrant labour and ethnic conflict.
This Routledge Classics edition is a translation of the revised French edition and includes a debate between Derrida and Etienne Balibar on Marx and Marxism, published here in English for the first time. It also includes new corrections and additions to the text and footnotes made by Derrida after the book's initial publication in French.
Translated by Peggy Kamuf and with a new Foreword by Peter Salmon, this Routledge Classics edition retains the original Editors' Introduction by Bernd Magnus and Stephen Cullenberg.
In his customary provocative style, he asks some uncomfortable questions: after the fall of Communism, can we preserve Marx's legacy of radicalism? How do we continue his philosophy of responsibility? Uncannily anticipating many of the challenges facing us today, Derrida argues that the capitalist system is plagued by a multitude of ills, including aggression, trade wars, debt, the exploitation of migrant labour and ethnic conflict.
This Routledge Classics edition is a translation of the revised French edition and includes a debate between Derrida and Etienne Balibar on Marx and Marxism, published here in English for the first time. It also includes new corrections and additions to the text and footnotes made by Derrida after the book's initial publication in French.
Translated by Peggy Kamuf and with a new Foreword by Peter Salmon, this Routledge Classics edition retains the original Editors' Introduction by Bernd Magnus and Stephen Cullenberg.
Reviews / Votes
'One of Derrida's best books' - New Statesman and SocietyMore details
Series
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
General, Postgraduate, and Undergraduate Advanced
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
540 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-041-08371-9 (9781041083719)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jacques Derrida
Specters of Marx
The State of the Debt, the Work of Mourning and the New International
Book
02/2026
2nd Edition
Routledge
€25.00
Available immediately

Jacques Derrida
Specters of Marx
The State of the Debt, the Work of Mourning and the New International
E-Book
02/2026
2nd Edition
Routledge
€25.99
Available for download

Jacques Derrida
Specters of Marx
The State of the Debt, the Work of Mourning and the New International
E-Book
02/2026
2nd Edition
Routledge
€25.99
Available for download
Persons
Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) was born in Algeria. His philosophy, known widely for launching the theory of deconstruction, fused psychoanalysis, Marxist theory, philosophy and literature. Derrida was a central figure in academic life in the latter part of the twentieth century, and his work continues to provoke and inspire throughout the intellectual world.
Content
Foreword to the Routledge Classics Edition Peter Salmon Translator's Note Peggy Kamuf Editors' Introduction Bernd Magnus and Stephen Cullenberg Dedication Exordium 1. Injunctions of Marx 2. Conjuring-Marxism 3. Wears and Tears (Tableau of an ageless world) 4. In the Name of the Revolution, the Double Barricade (Impure "impure impure history of ghosts") 5. Apparition of the Inapparent: The phenomenological "conjuring trick" 6. Thirty Years Later Etienne Balibar 7. Debate around Specters of Marx Jacques Derrida, Etienne Balibar, and Patrice Loraux. Index