Diane Davis - Lectures / Workshops / Seminars
JACQUES DERRIDA: A Tribute to Philosophy (3 credits)
Diane Davis, Ph.D.
Description: This course examines fundamental paraconcepts developed in the works of Jacques Derrida (différance, iterability, trace, supplentarity) in relation to the three laws of logic (logocentrisms) that they deconstruct. There is a special focus on the ethico-politics of aporia opened in Derrida’s later works on hospitality, cosmopolitanism, and for(give)ness.
Objectives: Students will gain the theoretical and philosophical background necessary to read and engage in poststructuralist thought. After unpacking several of the most significant paraconcepts in the Derridean lexicon and studying the most scandalous Derridean deconstructions, students will engage in a careful collaborative reading of (at least) four of Derrida’s many major texts. Through engagement with these texts, students will both witness and engage in the poststructuralist reading practice called deconstruction while critically contemplating the aporetic structure of some of today’s most pressing ethical and political issues.
Learning Outcomes: Students will have developed a grounding in poststructuralist thought and a basic capacity for deconstructive scholarship. Students will leave the course with not only a better understanding of the significance of the work of Jacques Derrida in contemporary philosophy but also with a more sophisticated conception of what is at stake (ethically and politically) in poststructuralist scholarship broadly speaking and deconstructive reading more specifically.
Course Outline:
Module 1: The Lexicon, Major terms in the Derridean lexicon
Module 2: Deconstruction, Deconstructive reading practices
Module 3: Deconstruction of the Sign, Derrida’s deconstruction of the sign and of writing; Saussure on the sign; Rousseau on writing
Module 4: Aporia, Aporetics: no passage, specifically in terms of the (im)possibility of decision
Module 5: Hospitality, Derrida’s poststructural reading of hospitality, emphasis on indissociability of conditional and unconditional forms
Module 6: Infinite responsibility, Derrida’s approach to responsibility; focus on the unsolvable antinomy between conditional and unconditional hospitality
Module 7: Kantian Cosmopolitanism, Brief history of cosmopolitanism in Enlightenment thought; focus specifically on Kant’s notion of universal cosmopolitan right
Module 8: Derridean Cosmopolitanism, Derrida’s poststructural approach to Enlightenment/Kantian notions of cosmopolitanism
Module 9: Forgiveness, Derrida’s poststructural approach to forgiveness; focus on distinctions between the unforgivable and the imprescriptible, forgiveness and sovereignty, lucidity and the “realm of the secret” (or the mystery)
Required Readings:
Derrida, Jacques. On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness. Routledge, 2001. ISBN: 0415227127. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Of Hospitality. Stanford U, 2000. ISBN: 0804734062. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "Signature, Event, Context" in: Limited Inc. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988. Paperback, 168 pages, Language English/French, ISBN: 0810107880. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "Force of Law: The ‘Mystical Foundation of Authority.’" Trans. Mary Quaintance. Cardozo Law Review 11: 919
Dufourmantelle, Anne and Jacques Derrida. Of Hospitality. Trans. Rachel Bowlby. Stanford UP, 2000. Hardcover, 176 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780804734059. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr. Paperback, ISBN: 9780804734066. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "Remarks on Deconstruction and Pragmatism." in: Simon Critchley, Jacques Derrida, Ernesto Laclau, and Richard Rorty. Deconstruction and Pragmatism. Ed. Chantal Mouffe. New York: Routledge, 1997. Hardcover, 112 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0415121698. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Kant, Immanuel. Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Essay. Trans. M. Campbell Smith. New York: Garland Publishing, 1972. Paperback, 228 pages, Language English, ISBN: 1176928759. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "On Cosmopolitanism." in: On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness. Trans. Mark Dooly and Michael Hughes. New York: Routledge, 2001. Paperback, 94 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0415227127. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Focused reading: "On Forgiveness." In On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness. Trans. Mark Dooly and Michael Hughes. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Recommended Readings:
Derrida, Jacques. Positions. Trans. Alan Bass. University of Chicago Press, 1981. Paperback, 120 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780226143316. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Dissemination. Trans. Barbara Johnson. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1981. Paperback, 400 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780226143347. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "Structure, Sign, and Play." in: Writing and Difference. trans. Alan Bass. University of Chicago Press, 1978. Paperback, 362 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0226143295. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Speech and Phenomena. Trans. David B. Allison. Evanston: Northwestern UP, 1973. Paperback, 166 pages, Language English, ISBN: 081010590X. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Grasché, Rodolphe. Inventions of Difference: On Jacques Derrida. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1994. Paperback, 296 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780674464438. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Taylor, Mark C. ed. Deconstruction in Context: Literature and Philosophy. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1986. Paperback, 454 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0226791408. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Austin, J.L., How to Do Things With Words. Harvard UP, 1975. Paperback, 192 pages, Language English, ISBN: 019281205X. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Trans. Gayatri, Chakravorty Spivak. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976. Paperback, 456 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780801858307. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Aporias. Trans. Thomas Dutoit. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1993. Paperback, 104 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780804722520. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "Hospitality." In Jacques Derrida: Acts of Religion. Ed. Gil Anidjar. New York: Routledge, 2002. Hardcover, 448 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780415924009. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Borradori, Giovanna. Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues with Jürgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida. Chicago, U of Chicago P, 2003. Paperback, 224 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0226066665. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Adieu to Emmanuel Levinas. Trans. Pascale-Anne Brault and Michael Naas. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1999. Paperback, 168 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780804732758. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "At this very moment in this work Here I am." in: Trans. Ruben Berezdivin. Rereading Levinas. Ed. Robert Bernasconi and Simon Critchley. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1991. Paperback, 272 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0253206243. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Levinas, Emmanuel. "Substitution." in: Emmanuel Levinas: Basic Philosophical Writings. Ed. Adriaan T. Peperzak, Simon Critchley, and Robert Bernasconi. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1996. 79-95. Paperback, 224 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780253210791. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. London: George Alen and Unwin Ltd, 1967. Paperback, 536 pages, Language English, ISBN: 1849028966. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Ronell, Avital. "Support Our Tropes." in: Finitude’s Score. Nebraska: U of Nebraska P, 1994. Paperback, 370 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780803289499. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "A Word of Welcome." in: Adieu to Emmanuel Levinas. Trans. Pascale-Anne Brault and Michael Naas. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1999. Paperback, 168 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780804732758. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Paper Machine. Trans. Rachel Bowlby. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2005. Paperback, 224 pages, Langauge English, ISBN: 0804746206. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Negotiations: Interventions and Interviews 1971-2001. Ed. and Trans. Elizabeth Rottenberg. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2002. Paperback, 424 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780804738927. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "Generations of a City." in: Open City: Alphabet City Six-Culture, Theory, Politics. Ed. John Knechtel.
Salmon, Christian. "The Parliament of a ‘Missing People.’" Trans. Betsy Wing. Autodafe: The Journal of the International Parliament of Writers 1 (2001):9-15.
Salmon, Christian. "Towards a Network of Cities of Asylum." In Council of Europe. Local Democracy: A Civic Project. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing, 1996. 133-136
Derrida, Jacques. Given Time 1: Counterfeit Money. Trans. Peggy Kamuf. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1992. Paperback, 182 pages, Language English, ISBN: 9780226143149. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. The Gift of Death. Trans. David Wills. Chicago: U of Chicago p, 1995. Paperback, 160 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0226142779. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. Memoires for Paul de Man. Revised Edition. Trans. Cicile Lindsay, Jonathan Culler, Eduardo Cadava, and Peggie Kamuf. New York: Columbia UP, 1989. Paperback, 263 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0231062338. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Derrida, Jacques. "A Madness Must Watch Over Thinking." in: Points: Interviews, 1974-94. Ed. Elisabeth Weber. Trans. Peggy Kamuf & others. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1995. Paperback, 516 pages, Language English, ISBN: 0804724881. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
CYBER, VIRTUAL, AND HYPERREAL: Conceptual Places and Cultures (3 credits)
Diane Davis, Ph.D.
Description: Stressing the need for reassessment, these three conceptual starting places and the complicated differences among them will be explored as the grounds for 'other' than the so-called real.
Required Readings:
Vitanza, Victor J. (ed). CyberReader. 2/e. Allyn & Bacon. Boston, August 1998, 528 pages, Paperback, ISBN: 0205290868. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Virilio, Paul. Open Sky Verso Books, New York and London. August 1997. 144 pages, Paperback, ISBN: 1859841813. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
POSTHUMANIST THEORY: The Tropes of Depropriation (3 credits)
Diane Davis, Ph.D.
Description: This course is an introduction to the influential thinking of Avital Ronell with special consideration of the tropes of depropriation peppering her work.
Required Readings:
Ronell, Avital. Stupidity. Univ of Illinois Press. April 2001, Hardcover, ISBN: 0252026136. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Ronell, Avital. Finitude's Score : Essays for the End of the Millennium (Texts and Contexts, Vol 8). University of Nebraska Press. June 1998, 381 pages, Reprint edition, Paperback, ISBN: 0803289499. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Ronell, Avital. Crack Wars: Literature, Addiction, Mania. University of Nebraska Press. February 1993, 175 pages, Paperback, ISBN: 0803289448. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.
Ronell, Avital. Dictations: On Haunted Writing. University of Nebraska Press. November 1993, 202 pages, Reprint edition, Paperback, ISBN: 0803289456. Buy it at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.fr.