Derrida, Deconstruction, and the Politics of Pedagogy

«Since the beginning of his writing, Jacques Derrida was committed to deconstructing the political ground of education and its institutions to show the relations of power and knowledge underlying pedagogy. And yet, this aspect of Derrida’s work has been relatively marginalized in discussions of his texts by critics who have chosen to situate deconstruction as a form of reading or writing. In ‘Derrida, Deconstruction, and the Politics of Pedagogy’, Michael A. Peters and Gert Biesta remind us that deconstruction is above all a way to engage the politics of cultural institutions and social practices like the educational system by re-examining the theoretical presuppositions of the ideas and methods we use to build our pedagogies around. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Derrida studies.» (Peter Pericles Trifonas, Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto)
«This wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and challenging book is well-organized and its argument is clearly and concisely presented. It is usually difficult to propose something new that brilliantly refines tested and proven ways. Readers of this well-crafted, lucidly-written book will benefit from Michael A. Peters and Gert Biesta’s enormous grasp of both Derrida’s oeuvre, and of the key figures without whose engagements it would not be what it is. ‘Derrida, Deconstruction, and the Politics of Pedagogy’ is a significant contribution to the field of Derrida scholarship.» (George Lazaroiu, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, ‘Review of Contemporary Philosophy’)
«Michael A. Peters’ and Gert Biesta’s book first explores Derrida’s philosophy in the eyes of foes and friends. It then follows a nuanced and generously humane analysis of key concepts in Derrida’s work in their bearing on politics and education today. The transparent text guides the reader towards a well-argued view for a different future for general education in a time of its much-needed renewal. This is a rare and well-written book and a fine contribution to the philosophy of education by two of its expert scholars.» (Lars Løvlie, Professor of Philosophy of Education, Institute for Educational Research, University of Oslo)