Derrida For Beginners by Jim Powell, Van Howell

ISBN: 9781934389119

For Beginners 21 August 2007

Paperback | 192 pages

In 1966, Jacques Derrida gave a lecture at Johns Hopkins University that cast the entire history of Western philosophy into doubt. The following year, Derrida published three brilliant but mystifying books that convinced many that he was the most important philosopher of the late 20th century — and also left many readers puzzled. *Derrida For Beginners* by Jim Powell provides one of the clearest, most accessible introductions to Derrida and the key ideas of deconstruction. Powell guides readers through major texts such as *Of Grammatology* (Derrida’s deconstruction of Saussure, Lévi‑Strauss and Rousseau), *Différance* (his essay on language and life), *Dissemination* (his dismantling of Plato and Mallarmé), and other signature works, explaining core concepts like intertextuality, binary oppositions, *sous rature*, and phallogocentrism in engaging, easy‑to‑follow language — ideal for those new to Derrida’s thought. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}