Élisabeth Roudinesco

"Deslumbrante, este diálogo entre Jacques Derrida y Élisabeth Roudinesco constituye un homenaje al pensamiento como experiencia de riesgo, amor y belleza. En torno a una serie de temas, sus voces tejen a dúo una red donde la filosofía, la historia, la política, la literatura y el psicoanálisis se alternan y entremezclan al acecho de una única pregunta, aquella que se hacía Victor Hugo en uno de sus poemas: «¿De qué estará hecho el mañana?». Con magistral agudeza, Derrida y Roudinesco examinan el confuso crepúsculo de hoy y reflexionan acerca del futuro". (Descripción editorial).… (more)

A revolution cannot be programmed. In a certain way, as the only event worthy of the name., it exceeds every possible horizon, every horizon of the possible--and therefore of potency and power.

This sumptuous collection of dialogues (as opposed to interviews as the introduction notes the
participants overlap "without fusing") is from 2001 and hovers above a number of topics: the Western Philosophical Heritage, Revolution after the fall of the USSR, Same-Sex Marriage, Adoption and the Freudian implications thereof, Animal Rights, Anti-Semitism, the Death Penalty and the Legacy of Psychoanalysis. Thus a late period Derrida speaks with historian (and avowed Lacanian) Elisabeth Roudinesco about the themes which contoured much of their intellectual careers. No need to peer within for snark or sharp disagreements, as good manners triumphed and Derrida was especially eloquent praising Mandela and speaking of the need to mitigate cruelty to animals. This is an accessible entry to later Derrida. It also provides some insights into Derrida's childhood and his defensiveness in certain situations. Such a master and always paradoxical -- Derrida so valued his privacy, while often gushing in interviews.… (more)