Jacques Derrida

Jacques Derrida (July 15, 1930 – October 9, 2004) was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria.

He developed a form of semiotic analysis known as deconstruction. His work was labelled as post-structuralism and associated with post-modern philosophy.

Jacques Derrida published more than 40 books, together with essays and public presentations. He had a significant influence upon the humanities, particularly on Anthropology, Sociology, Semiotics, Jurisprudence and Literary Theory. His work still has a major influence in the academe of Continental Europe, South America and all countries where continental philosophy is predominant.

His theories became crucial in debates around Ontology, Epistemology (especially concerning Social Sciences), Ethics, Esthetics, Hermeneutics and the Philosophy of Language. Jacques Derrida’s work also influenced architecture (in the form of de-constructivism), music, art and art criticism.

Particularly in his later writings, he frequently addressed ethical and political themes. His work influenced various activists and political movements. He is a well-known and influential figure, while his approach to philosophy and the purported difficulty of his work also made him controversial.