Foucault/Derrida Fifty Years Later

 Early in their careers, Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida argued over madness, reason, and history in an exchange that profoundly influenced continental philosophy and critical theory. In this collection, Amy Allen, Geoffrey Bennington, Lynne Huffer, Colin Koopman, Pierre Macherey, Michael Naas, and Judith Revel, among others, trace this exchange in debates over the possibilities of genealogy and deconstruction, immanent and transcendent approaches to philosophy, and the practical and theoretical role of the archive.

Review: Must we choose between Foucault and Derrida, between genealogy and deconstruction? The essays of this volume for the first time offer a comprehensive and profound analysis of the many aspects of what, retrospectively, can be called the Foucault-Derrida-debate and thus help us to better understand an alternative that - often unnoticed and unacknowledged - has shaped for over half a century large fields of critical thinking. The impact of this volume thus goes far beyond the investigation of a decisive event in the history of ideas; it explores no less than the contemporary possibilities for practicing critique. -- Christophe Menke, Goethe-Universitat, Frankfurt/Main, Germany This remarkable collection of essays shows how the exchange between Derrida and Foucault raises issues that remain crucial for contemporary critical thought. Individually and collectively, the authors demonstrate both the irreconcilable differences at the heart of this exchange and its inexhaustible productivity, not least in its effects on the subsequent work of Derrida and Foucault. This is a must read for anyone interested in deconstruction, genealogy or the relations between these critical methods. -- Paul Patton, University of New South Wales, Australia This excellent volume makes evident why the Foucault-Derrida debate continues to matter. The problem at the heart of it might ostensibly seem minor - the correct interpretation of a paragraph in Descartes's Meditations. In truth, the stakes could hardly be higher: the status of reason and critique, and ultimately, the future of philosophy itself. -- Johanna Oksala, University of Helsinki Recommended. CHOICE