This book is an unusually readable and lucid account of the development of Derrida's work, from his early writings on phenomenology and structuralism to his most recent interventions in debates on psychoanalysis, ethics and politics. Christina Howells gives a clear explanation of many of the key terms of deconstruction - including diff rance, trace, supplement and logocentrism - and shows how they function in Derrida's writing. She explores his critique of the notion of self-presence through his engagement with Husserl, and his critique of humanist conceptions of the subject through an account of his ambivalent and evolving relationship to the philosophy of Sartre. The question of the relationship between philosophy and literature is examined through an analysis of the texts of the 1970s, and in particular Glas, where Derrida confronts Hegel's totalizing dialectics with the fragmentary and iconoclastic writings of Jean Genet. The author addresses directly the vexed questions of the extreme difficulty of Derrida's own writing and of the passionate hostility it arouses in philosophers as diverse as Searle and Habermas. She argues that deconstruction is a vital stimulus to vigilance in both the ethical and political spheres, contributing significantly to debate 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 be an invaluable text for students and scholars alike.

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, tracesupplement 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 Marxismresponsibility, 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.

Acknowledgements.Abbreviations.Apologia.1. Phenomenology.2. Structuralism.3. Language: Speech and Writing.4. Deconstructing the Text: Literature and Philosophy.5. Deconstruction and Psychoanalysis.6. The Ethics and Politics of Deconstruction and theDeconstruction of Ethics and Politics.Notes.Bibliography.Index.