Ghosts and Deconstruction

What is it about?

The article examines the place and the role of ghosts (spirits, apparitions, revenants, spectral remains) in deconstruction and especially in the work of Jacques Derrida. The place where ghosts live, in a western tradition that goes back further than the texts of Homer, coincides with a place in the text between philosophy and literature. The article explains what this between-space might be, what it implies for literature and for philosophy, and more importantly, what it might mean for us.

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Why is it important?

Deconstruction is a much contested word and submits to a wide disarray of definitions and interpretations. Part of my project is to work out through the all-important details what the lasting influence and future impact of deconstruction is and what it could be. The conceptual space between philosophy and literature remains uncertain and it seems one might be best placed to explore it with knowledge and expertise from each of these institutional camps. The implications will bear on both.