Derrida

This book is an unusually readable and lucid account of thedevelopment of Derrida's work, from his early writings onphenomenology and structuralism to his most recent interventions indebates on psychoanalysis, ethics and politics.
Christina Howells gives a clear explanation of many of the keyterms of deconstruction - including différance, trace,supplement and logocentrism - and shows how they function inDerrida's writing. She explores his critique of the notion ofself-presence through his engagement with Husserl, and his critiqueof humanist conceptions of the subject through an account of hisambivalent and evolving relationship to the philosophy of Sartre.The question of the relationship between philosophy and literatureis examined through an analysis of the texts of the 1970s, and inparticular Glas, where Derrida confronts Hegel's totalizingdialectics with the fragmentary and iconoclastic writings of JeanGenet.
The author addresses directly the vexed questions of the extremedifficulty of Derrida's own writing and of the passionate hostilityit arouses in philosophers as diverse as Searle and Habermas. Sheargues that deconstruction is a vital stimulus to vigilance in boththe ethical and political spheres, contributing significantly todebate on issues such as democracy, the legacy of Marxism,responsibility, and the relationship between law and justice.
Comprehensive, cogently argued and up to date, this book will bean invaluable text for students and scholars alike.