From Life to Survival: Derrida, Freud, and the Future of Deconstruction

Contemporary continental thought moves away from the linguistic turn and towards new materialisms and ontologies that prioritize the study of life and death. This book argues that Derridean deconstruction remains relevant for contemporary discussions of these issues, particularly in his recasting of life as "life-death" and his exploration of the ethical and political implications of Freud's death drive. By destabilizing inherited understandings of life, death, and the political, deconstruction offers new perspectives on sovereignty, the death penalty, and other critical concerns.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 04 January 2022
Publisher: Fordham University Press

Contemporary continental thought has witnessed a significant shift away from the "linguistic turn" that characterized twentieth-century European philosophy. This shift is driven by the emergence of new materialisms and ontologies that aim to transcend the centrality of language in poststructuralism, as traditionally understood. At the same time, biopolitical philosophy has brought forth by critical attention to the question of life, exploring emerging formations of life and death. Within this broader turn, Derridean deconstruction, often perceived as primarily focused on language, writing, and textuality, has been somewhat marginalized. However, this book aims to demonstrate the enduring relevance of deconstruction for contemporary thinkers' engagement with resolutely material issues and with matters of life and the living.

Trumbull delves into Derrida's conception of life across his work, particularly his reimagining of life as "life-death" and the subsequent concepts of survival or living on. Trumbull highlights the central role of Freud in Derrida's thought, emphasizing the activation of Freud's death drive and its profound implications, particularly in terms of deconstruction's ethical and political possibilities. The book traces how Derrida's early treatment of Freud and his mobilization of Freud's death drive enable us to grasp the deconstructive thought of life as inherently exposed to death, a logic that is subsequently articulated in the notion of survival.

Trumbull further demonstrates how Derrida's recasting of life as survival allows deconstruction to destabilize inherited understandings of life, death, and the political. This includes challenging dominant configurations of sovereignty and the death penalty. By examining the interplay between Derrida's thought and Freud's death drive, Trumbull offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of life, death, and the political, shedding light on the enduring relevance of deconstruction for contemporary philosophical inquiry.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780823298723