Derrida and Other Animals: The Boundaries of the Human

Analyses Derrida’s late writings on animals, especially his seminars The Beast and the SovereignMakes extensive reference to the two volumes of Derrida’s seminar series The Beast and the SovereignPays particular attention to Derrida's intertexts, such as Defoe, Hobbes, La Fontaine, Rousseau, Agamben and HeideggerTwo chapters explore contemporary women’s animal fictions, and imagined metamorphoses, looking at work by Carter, Cixous, Darrieussecq, Duffy, NDiaye, Tsvetaeva and VivienJudith Still offers a comprehensive discussion of Derrida’s contribution to the long-standing philosophical and political debate which insists on defining ‘man’ against ‘the animal’. She makes extensive reference to the two volumes recently published, in French and English, of Derrida’s seminar series The Beast and the Sovereign, with particular attention to his source texts such as Defoe, Hobbes, La Fontaine, Rousseau, Agamben and Heidegger. Added to this close reading of Derrida is a consideration of contemporary women’s writings on animals, including work by Carter, Cixous, Darrieussecq, Duffy, NDiaye, Tsvetaeva and Vivien.The result is a challenging series of case studies of the ways in which the defining of man against animality has had an impact on animals and also on those human beings defined as less than fully human – savages, slaves and women.It will appeal to those interested in Derrida and in animal studies, and how these relate to questions of enduring human inequalities whether based on race or sex. Read more