Who was Jacques Derrida For some,he is responsible,at least in part,for the contemporary crisis of truth. For the far right,he is one of the architects of Cultural Marxism. To his academic critics,he reduced French philosophy to'little more than an object of ridicule'. For his fans,he is an intellectual rock star who ranged across literature,politics,and linguistics. In An Event Perhaps,Peter Salmon presents this misunderstood and misappropriated figure as a deeply humane and urgent thinker for our times.Accessible,provocative and beautifully written,this biography will introduce to a new readership to the life and work of a philosopher whose influence over the way we think will continue long into the twenty-first century.
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Publisher: Verso BooksISBN: 9781788732819Number of pages: 320Weight: 263 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 20 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
This is a compulsively readable intellectual biography of Derrida thatteases out his endlessly fascinating thought,even when it is at itsknottiest,with admirable patience and lucidity. Salmon's book,invividly transmitting the intellectual excitement of Derrida's times,reminds the reader that,especially in his thinking about ethics,heremains a philosopher who is urgently,politically relevant to our timestoo.The life of Jacques Derrida has never been told as elegantly orengagingly as it is in Peter Salmon's new book. Indelightfully readable,often laconic prose,Salmon helped me tounderstand Derrida as never before and demonstrated why he is not,assome detractors called him,the Devil but much more cherishable. Awonderful book.A precise intellectual biography...Salmon's ability to render the manand the mind behind Derrida's "notoriously difficult" style accessiblemake this volume a rich resource for both newcomers to,and fans of,"one of the great philosophers of this or any age.PeterSalmon's clear-sighted,engaging guide to Derrida's life and ideas is anexcellent way to learn about how one of the twentieth century's mostcomplex thinkers continues to influence our worldA scintillating new biography...Derrida's life story provides a frame and backgroundfor an intellectual biography of his ideas and their development. In theprocess it also serves as one of the clearest introductions to20th-century continental philosophy available.(An Event,Perhaps) comes as manna from heaven...It's dizzyingly good.
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