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ryberst's review
4.0
There are copious introductions to Derrida available, from a number of different perspectives. My first exposure to Derrida was an encounter with Caputo's Prayers and Tears, which is a fantastic read. It does, however, give off some false impressions as well, particularly that the works of Derrida are impenetrable without a solid foundation in philosophy. Perhaps inadvertent on Caputo's part, it is an assumption I picked up nonetheless, and one under which I worked for a number of years.
Smith's book would have been a corrective to that impression. While still difficult, Smith's book is much more elucidating. Part of this is due to the methodology inherent in Smith's project: this was to be primarily an introduction and summary. Smith works both chronologically through Derrida's work, highlighting the thematic nature of each period. Thus, Smith shows that Derrida's early work can be viewed as Derrida's discussion on ontology, the period immediately following dealing with epistemology, the later period, of course, dealing with ethics, politics and religion.
While this is primarily an introduction and summary, a complete overview without point-of-view, commentary, or opinion is impossible, and Smith does not attempt such an impossibility. Smith reads Derrida (against the image some have of him) as being consistent throughout his career. While some see in Derrida an "ethical turn" and argue for an early and later Derrida, Smith suggests that the ethical concerns seen explicitly in his later work goes all the way down from the beginning. He reads Derrida through Levinas through Kierkegaard, making reference to these "proto-deconstructionists" throughout the book while making very little reference to Heidegger (unlike much of Caputo's readings of Derrida). Smith also makes regular reference to Husserl and shows the importance of his thought for Derrida. (personally I think Husserl often gets eclipsed by Heidegger in understanding Derrida's influences).
On a completely sentimental level (the other-than-rational should not be excluded from philosophy), as Smith put the finishing touches on his book, Derrida died of pancreatic cancer. Thus, this book is emotionally important for Smith, and this emoitionality bleeds through the pages at times. Smith clearly respects and is indebted to Derrida, and his open, generous, but honest treatment of him communicates that throughout.
Smith's book was a fantastic summary of the thought of one of the most important thinkers of the late Twentieth century. It has worked its way into my number one recommendation for an introduction.
Smith's book would have been a corrective to that impression. While still difficult, Smith's book is much more elucidating. Part of this is due to the methodology inherent in Smith's project: this was to be primarily an introduction and summary. Smith works both chronologically through Derrida's work, highlighting the thematic nature of each period. Thus, Smith shows that Derrida's early work can be viewed as Derrida's discussion on ontology, the period immediately following dealing with epistemology, the later period, of course, dealing with ethics, politics and religion.
While this is primarily an introduction and summary, a complete overview without point-of-view, commentary, or opinion is impossible, and Smith does not attempt such an impossibility. Smith reads Derrida (against the image some have of him) as being consistent throughout his career. While some see in Derrida an "ethical turn" and argue for an early and later Derrida, Smith suggests that the ethical concerns seen explicitly in his later work goes all the way down from the beginning. He reads Derrida through Levinas through Kierkegaard, making reference to these "proto-deconstructionists" throughout the book while making very little reference to Heidegger (unlike much of Caputo's readings of Derrida). Smith also makes regular reference to Husserl and shows the importance of his thought for Derrida. (personally I think Husserl often gets eclipsed by Heidegger in understanding Derrida's influences).
On a completely sentimental level (the other-than-rational should not be excluded from philosophy), as Smith put the finishing touches on his book, Derrida died of pancreatic cancer. Thus, this book is emotionally important for Smith, and this emoitionality bleeds through the pages at times. Smith clearly respects and is indebted to Derrida, and his open, generous, but honest treatment of him communicates that throughout.
Smith's book was a fantastic summary of the thought of one of the most important thinkers of the late Twentieth century. It has worked its way into my number one recommendation for an introduction.
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