Dead Theory: Derrida, Death, and the Afterlife of Theory

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What is the legacy of Theory after the deaths of so many of its leading lights, from Jacques Derrida to Roland Barthes Bringing together reflections by leading contemporary scholars, Dead Theory explores the afterlives of the work of the great theorists and the current state of Theory today. Considering the work of thinkers such as Derrida, Deleuze, and Levinas, the book explores the ways in which Theory has long been haunted by death and how it might endure for the future.

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Beginning from the position that 21st-century academic fields focus on studies as opposed to the 20th-century theory movement, Di Leo (English and philosophy, Univ. of Houston, Victoria) has gathered an array of scholars to counter reports of the death of theory and to focus on how the deaths of the theorists may have altered understanding of the theories. The 11 contributions are divided into three parts. The first part (three essays) focuses on Jacques Derridas legacy, as seen through those conceived as the heirs of his theory. The first essay in this section plots that legacy through a multiplicity of disciplines, looking at the ways in which those traditional disciplines become interdisciplinary through the theory; the remaining two essays chart, respectively, the so-called death of theory through the Cold War and the subsequent resurgence of theory. The four essays in part 2, "Derrida, Death, Theory," present Derridas theoretical work on death, arguing for the ongoing importance of theory; the four essays in part 3, "Politics, Death, Theory," continue the discussion through politics to posthumanism. This engaging work features consistently clear writing by many top scholars. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. * CHOICE *
Each essay crackles with fresh and compelling insights This collection bears special significance because it manages to clarify the relationship between death and theory and provides depth and rich insight. It is a welcome breath of fresh air in these stifling times, for it challenges readers to assess todays state of theory in its relation to death. * Journal of Modern Literature *

Author Bio

Jeffrey R. Di Leo is Professor of English and Philosophy and Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Houston-Victoria, USA. Formerly President of the Society for Comparative Literature and the Arts, he is Editor of the American Book Review and Founding Editor of the journal Symploke. His previous publications include Criticism After Critique: Aesthetics and the Political (2014) and Turning the Page: Book Culture in the Digital Age (2014).