Derrida: A Biography

摘要

This book is the English translation of Peeters' biography of the French intellectual Jacques Derrida, published in French in 2010. There has been a general reluctance to write conventional historical accounts of Derrida, as his acolytes feel to do so might constitute a betrayal of the master; arguing that in its 'assumptions and methodology history is intrinsically biased against deconstruction' (Baring 2010, 9). The man who has chosen to break with convention is Benoit Peeters, a former student of Roland Barthes who is perhaps most noted for his collaboration with Francois Schutien on the Les Cites obscures series of graphic novels. Derrida's philosophical work has polarized opinion, with some seeing him as one of the most original thinkers of the twentieth century, while others see him as little more than a fraud and a charlatan, pouring out endless works of obscure verbiage which, although inspiring a cult-like following in certain circles, have largely failed to impact upon academic philosophy. In many respects Derrida was a contradictory figure; an archetypal French philosopher who always found more acclaim abroad than he did in this own country; a man who fought against being classified in any group, yet ultimately collected around him what can only be described as a group of disciples.