Descartes to Derrida

From the Publisher

"If, like me, you find most philosophical commentaries on the work of such thinkers as Derrida, Deleuze and Levinas scarecely less obscure and jargon-saturated than the originals, then this is the book for you." Byron Williston, Philosophy in Review

"In general, American students find "continental" thought somewhat less accessible than its analytic counterpart. ...In light of this, such an introductory work on European thought is a welcome aid to the reading of the relevant primary sources. But the value of such a text.rests on the clarity of its own presentation. Sedgwick's writing is clear, elegant, well organised and perfectly attuned to the concerns outlined above. I cannot help but mention another perfect audience for this book: faculty, such as myself.I confess to learning an enormous amount of philosophy from Sedgwick." Patrick Mooney, John Carroll University, in the Times Higher Education Supplement

"This book should take a place as one of the key texts in humanities programs throughout the English-speaking world." R Shumaker, Choice, June 2002

"With a reliable lucidity, Peter Sedgwick connects central questions in contemporary continental thought - the limits of knowledge, and the question of the subject - with the traditional history of modern philosophy from Descartes to Kant. This book demonstrates beyond doubt that no student of philosophy today can claim to be educated unless they have come to terms with the issues and figures it deals with so freshly and helpfully." David Wood, Vanderbilt University

"This will be the first book I recommend to students and non-philosophers looking for a guide into European philosophy, and academic philosophers - whether 'analytic' or 'continental'- will also profit from its clear and jargon-free explications of some notoriously complicated philosophical thinkers." Alan D. Schrift, Grinnell College

"Peter Sedgwick has produced a remarkably lucid introduction to the dominant trends in European philosophy. Even the challenging projects of contemporary, postmodern philosophy are rendered accessible to an audience of non-specialists. This is a welcome, engaging resource for both students and teachers of the history of philosophy." Daniel W. Conway, Pennsylvania State University

"If ... you find most philosophical commentaries on the work of such thinkers as Derrida, Deleuze and Levinas scarecely less obscure and jargon-saturated than the originals, then this is the book for you. Peter Sedgwick has given us a remarkably lucid account of the major trends in the history of European thought, from the early seventeenth century to the late twentieth." Philosophy in Review

Booknews

In this sophisticated introduction to continental philosophy, the philosophers are elucidated through five themes: knowledge, reason, and experience (Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant); knowledge, history and society (Hegel, Nietzsche, Horkheimer, Adorno); ontology (Heidegger, Deleuze & Guattari); anti-humanism and ethics (Levinas, Derrida); and politics, ideology, power, justice (Althusser, Foucault, Nietzsche, Lyotard,). The major subtext throughout is the nature of the subject or self. Sedgwick (philosophy, Cardiff U.) states that if there is a thread to this volume, it is that "many of the thinkers discussed favour the movement away from a timeless conception of subjectivity." These male thinkers (some attention is given to women, viz., Irigaray and Le Doeuff) take a more socio-historical view of philosophical issues, and spurn compartmentalization of philosophical issues. Suggested readings are provided for each of the major sections. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)