Counter-Institutions ─ Jacques Derrida And the Question of the University

Derrida's thought on philosophy and its relation to the university is remarkably transparent, at least at first: philosophy simultaneously belongs to but does not belong to the university in that philosophy comes from "outside" the university; but the university uses it as a means of defining itself. Here Wortham (English, U. of Portsmouth) thinks out loud about the university, the nature of teaching, the true definition of the humanities and the essence of cultural studies within the remains of the deconstructed university. He analyzes the post-Derrida university as both construct and ruin, getting to the reasons why Derrida's questions about its function have not led to the collapse of the university but instead to more questions. Particularly interesting is his discussion on the claims of the humanities with Christopher Fynsk as Fynsk was leaving Birmingham U. in the US for the U. of Aberdeen. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Simon Morgan Wortham teaches English at the University of Portsmouth. His most recent book is Samuel Weber: Acts of Reading.