Jacques Derrida’s first visit to China: A summary of his lectures and seminars

摘要

China figured early in Derrida's philosophical writings. By 1967, the possibilityrnthat the system of Chinese writing might suit his project of deconstructingrnWestern logocentrism bulks large in Of Grammatology, one of thernthree books he published that year which were to establish his reputation asrna deconstrucfive philosopher. His own relations with China, however, werernlargely channeled through or mediated by scholars and scholarly discoursernin North America. Likewise, English translations of Derrida's works havernplayed a dominant role in the reception of his thinking within Chinese academicrncircles. Thus, of his seven books now available in Chinese translation,rnonly two come directly from the original French. The irony inherent inrnthis predicament has not been lost on Derrida himself. In the preface herncontributed to the Chinese translation of Writing and Difference, he observes: