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Deconstruction in a Nutshell: A Conversation with Jacques Derrida (Perspectives in Continental Philosophy)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Fordham University Press (1996-01-01)
ISBN: 0823217558
EAN: 9780823217557
Dewey Decimal #: 194
Paperback: 215 pages
Edition: annotated edition
Release Date: 1996-01-01
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Responding to questions put to him at a Roundtable held at Villanova University in 1994, Jacques Derrida leads the reader through an illuminating discussion of the central themes of deconstruction. Speaking in English and extemporaneously, Derrida takes up with unusual clarity and great eloquence such topics as the task of philosophy, the Greeks, justice, responsibility, the gift, the community, the distinction between the messianic and the concrete messianisms, and his interpretation of James Joyce. Derrida convincingly refutes the charges of relativism and nihilism that are often leveled at deconstruction by its critics and sets forth the profoundly affirmative and ethico-political thrust of his work. The "Roundtable" is marked by the unusual clarity of Derrida's presentation and by the deep respect for the great works of the philosophical and literary tradition with which he characterizes his philosophical work. The Roundtable is annotated by John D. Caputo, the David R. Cook Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, who has supplied cross references to Derrida's writings where the reader may find further discussion on these topics. Professor Caputo has also supplied a commentary which elaborates the principal issues raised in the Roundtable. In all, this volume represents one of the most lucid, compact and reliable introductions to Derrida and deconstruction available in any language. An ideal volume for students approaching Derrida for the first time, Deconstruction in a Nutshell will prove instructive and illuminating as well for those already familiar with Derrida's work.
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Customer Reviews
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Discover Derrida
Rating  (4)
Date: 2009-05-14
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This round table discussion, delivered at Villanova in 1994, is one of the clearest and most engaging introductions to the thought of Jacques Derrida. Surrounded by faculty, and speaking in excellent English, Derrida fields a wide range of questions regarding the nature of deconstruction and how it has been misunderstood so frequently and irresponsibly by his critics. John Caputo has also provided an outstanding collection of critical commentaries which address in greater detail the issues which were brought up at the round table. Although Caputo is a little polemical at times, he does an excellent job refuting the mediocre criticisms leveled at Derrida from the likes of Sokal, Quine, Gutmann and others who are quick to condemn without truly reading the work of Derrida. This is an exceptionally clear and engaging collection of essays for any reader looking for a safe entryway to the complexity of Derrida's massive corpus.
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Good book
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-11-05
Caputo summarizes the destruction that Derrida puts forth so well, he makes it understandable, he makes a writer that is often misunderstood, and viewed as impossible to understand, and summarizes it well, he puts deconstruction in a nutshell, which Derrida probably hates.
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not terribly useful or interesting
Rating  (1)
Date: 2003-03-13
12 out of 19 customers found this reveiw helpful
Caputo's tone in the commentary, which constitutes all but the first 30 or so pages of this book, is infuriatingly cutesy and playful, and behind his cutness and attempts to paraphrase Derrida, there is very little interesting commentary. It is obvious that Caputo has a great deal of admiration and love for his subject, but beyond that, I found an awful lot of defensive rhetoric and lots of wonderful aspects of Derrida's work completely left out of the discussion. It seems Caputo's greatest interest lies in Theology and Deconstruction, and I was interested by his brief comments about Derrida's relationship to Judaism, but he barely gets into the subject in this book, and instead recommmends that the reader read one of his several other books on Derrida. One can only hope that his other books contain more original ideas and less of his own titles in the ever-present footnotes!
Also: although this title will undoubtedly attract "beginners" to Deconstruction, I must say I am grateful that this text was not my first introduction to Derrida. While Derrida has a reputation for being difficult reading, the rewards one gets are certanly worth the effort! There is bound to be something that interests you among the titles that make up his prodigious output. Buy Dissemination, or Writing and Difference, take it in, and then check this book out of the library, read the "Roundtable", bask in the brilliance, and return it. Now you'll have more room on your bookshelf for books worth owning!
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Quite frustrating, occasionally rewarding
Rating  (3)
Date: 2001-01-12
14 out of 18 customers found this reveiw helpful
Much of this book is seems to alternate between giddy celebration of Derrida and a prickly defense of Deconstruction. The latter is probably unneeded in this book, the former makes me impatient. Caputo's "playful" style becomes quite annoying - unfortunate because the material is very interesting (I particularly liked the chapter on Community).The first part of the book, the interview, is quite good. The questions are engaging and Derrida's responses are clear and relevant. The rest of the book is more spotty. On the whole, the book is worthwhile but it might be more profitable to go straight to Derrida's writing.
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A note of caution
Rating (4)
Date: 2000-12-12
15 out of 20 customers found this reveiw helpful
I would suggest that anyone (a "beginner") purchasing this book to understand "Deconstruction" as a philosophy in the grand meta-narrative sense will be disappointed. "Deconstruction" should be understood more precisely as a process of keeping a critical check on philosophical assumptions employed in philosophy in any historical time. It involves --as a process-- analysis of (un)warranted assumptions and conclusions in philosophy, and in that regard is extraordinarily helpful in assessing --to a certain extent-- philosophical arguments. One should be quick to add that "Deconstruction" is a tool, not a dogma or philosophical worldview per se, which the book attempts to address implicitly. I would take care not to recommend this and related works to those interested in analysis of pure philosophy, which does have value unto itself outside of socio-historical and linguistic criticism, which --to a large extent-- is the main thrust of "Deconstruction" as a "discipline." Overall, the book constitutes a good introduction to Derrida's thinking --thinking which has without doubt provided much of the furniture of the landscape of "Deconstructive" analysis. This book is a nice introduction to that landscape, not philosophical landscapes as conceived by philosophers. Though Derrida is an extraordinary philosopher, "Deconstruction" should probably not be thought of as a philosophical process. I am not sure if this book communicates this implicit distinction that is currently drawn among many respectable academicians.
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Retail Price: $22.00
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