Theory and Practice (Paperback)

Jacques Derrida

ISBN 10: 0226829359 / ISBN 13: 9780226829357

Published by The University of Chicago Press, 2024

About this Item

Paperback. Now in paperback, nine lectures from Jacques Derrida that challenge the influential Marxist distinction between thinking and acting.Theory and Practice is a series of nine lectures that Jacques Derrida delivered at the Ecole Normale Superieure in 1976 and 1977. The topic of theory and practice was associated above all with Marxist discourse and particularly the influential interpretation of Marx by Louis Althusser. Derridas many questions to Althusser and other thinkers aim at unsettling the distinction between thinking and acting. Derridas investigations set out from Marxs Theses on Feuerbach, in particular the eleventh thesis, which has often been taken as a mantra for the end of philosophy, to be brought about by Marxist practice. Derrida argues, however, that Althusser has no such end in view and that his discourse remains resolutely philosophical, even as it promotes the theory/practice pair as primary values. This seminar also draws fascinating connections between Marxist thought and Heidegger and features Derridas signature reconsideration of the dichotomy between doing and thinking. This text, available for the first time in English, shows that Derrida was doing important work on Marx long before Specters of Marx. As with the other volumes in this series, it gives readers an unparalleled glimpse into Derridas thinking at its bestspontaneous, unpredictable, and groundbreaking. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780226829357

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Theory and Practice (Paperback)
• Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
• Publication Date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226829359
• ISBN 13: 9780226829357
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Now in paperback, nine lectures from Jacques Derrida that challenge the influential Marxist distinction between thinking and acting.

Theory and Practice is a series of nine lectures that Jacques Derrida delivered at the École Normale Supérieure in 1976 and 1977. The topic of “theory and practice” was associated above all with Marxist discourse and particularly the influential interpretation of Marx by Louis Althusser. Derrida’s many questions to Althusser and other thinkers aim at unsettling the distinction between thinking and acting.

Derrida’s investigations set out from Marx’s “Theses on Feuerbach,” in particular the eleventh thesis, which has often been taken as a mantra for the “end of philosophy,” to be brought about by Marxist practice. Derrida argues, however, that Althusser has no such end in view and that his discourse remains resolutely philosophical, even as it promotes the theory/practice pair as primary values. This seminar also draws fascinating connections between Marxist thought and Heidegger and features Derrida’s signature reconsideration of the dichotomy between doing and thinking. This text, available for the first time in English, shows that Derrida was doing important work on Marx long before Specters of Marx. As with the other volumes in this series, it gives readers an unparalleled glimpse into Derrida’s thinking at its best—spontaneous, unpredictable, and groundbreaking.

About the Author

Jacques Derrida (1930–2004) was director of studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, and professor of humanities at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of many books published by the University of Chicago Press. David Wills is professor of French and comparative literature at Brown University.