Derrida - A Very Short Introduction

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Jacques Derrida had a major influence on 20th century philosophy and the idea of postmodernism. Challenging some of the deepest assumptions of the Western philosophical tradition, he is most renowned-or condemned-for his engagement with the movement that he called 'deconstruction.'

In this Very Short Introduction, Simon Glendinning explores both the difficulty and significance of the work of Derrida. Glendinning provides a clear sense of the centrality of Derrida's interest in Europe and his relationship to philosophy, to religious history, and to modern democratic politics.

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List of contents

• Acknowledgements


• 1: A picture of Derrida


• 2: Misunderestimating Derrida


• 3: Reading the logocentric heritage


• 4: The turn to writing


• 5: Différance


• 6: Iterability


• 7: The turn to politics


• 8: Man and animal


• 9: Starting over


• References


• Further reading

About the author

Simon Glendinning is Head of the European Institute and Professor in European Philosophy at the London School of Economics. He is the author of Derrida's Legacies: Literature and Philosophy (2008).

Product details

• Authors: Editor, Simon Glendinning, Simon (London School of Economics and Glendinning
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 22.10.2026
• EAN: 9780198907510
• ISBN: 978-0-19-890751-0
• No. of pages: 176
• Series: Very Short Introductions
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: antiquity to present day; Philosophy of Language, PHILOSOPHY / History & Surveys / Modern, PHILOSOPHY / Language, PHILOSOPHY / Movements / Post-Structuralism, Western philosophy from c 1800, PHILOSOPHY / Movements / Structuralism, Western Philosophy, From C 1900 -, Deconstructionism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Structuralism and Post-structuralism