Jacques Derrida

Date of Birth: July 15, 1930

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: October 9, 2004

Biography

Jacques Derrida was a prominent French philosopher best known for developing a form of semiotic analysis known as deconstruction, which he discussed in numerous texts, and which has been influential in the fields of literary theory, philosophy, and linguistics. Derrida was born on July 15, 1930, in El Biar, a suburb of Algiers, into a Sephardic Jewish family. He moved to France in 1949 to pursue his education and eventually became a pivotal figure in the intellectual movement known as post-structuralism. Derrida’s work is characterized by an effort to understand the relationship between text and meaning. His major works, including “Of Grammatology,” “Writing and Difference,” and “Margins of Philosophy,” challenge the fundamental assumptions of Western philosophy and literature. He taught at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and held a number of visiting and permanent positions at American universities, including Yale and the University of California, Irvine. Derrida’s ideas have had a profound impact on various disciplines, including literature, law, ethics, and religious studies. Despite facing criticism from some quarters, his innovative approach to philosophy has continued to inspire scholars and thinkers around the world. Jacques Derrida passed away on October 9, 2004, in Paris, France, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

5 Interesting Facts about Jacques Derrida

1. Jacques Derrida was initially expelled from his high school in Algiers due to anti-Semitic laws during the Vichy regime.

2. He coined the term “différance,” which plays a central role in his philosophy and describes the endless process of deferral of meaning in language.

3. Derrida’s method of deconstruction has been applied not only to literature and philosophy but also to architecture, anthropology, and even law.

4. He was a prolific writer, publishing more than 40 books and countless essays throughout his career.

5. Derrida received honorary doctorates from several universities, including Columbia University and the University of Cambridge.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jacques Derrida

1. “There is nothing outside of the text.”

2. “To pretend, I actually do the thing: I have therefore only pretended to pretend.”

3. “The end of man is a thought that must think itself.”

4. “Each time this weariness opens a book, it’s as if a letter were thrown out to the sea.”

5. “The philosopher … can only be an active participant in the struggle, always a combatant in some form.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jacques Derrida’s highest net worth is not well-documented, as philosophers generally do not accumulate significant wealth through their intellectual work. However, his influence and contributions to philosophy have been invaluable.