Adorno's other son: Derrida and the future of critical theory

Fichus published as a book the speech that Jacques Derrida delivered in Frankfurt in September 2001 in acceptance of the Theodor-W.-Adorno Prize. This little autobiographical text might seem to be of interest only for those who care about Derrida's person. Notably, it can be read as a surreptitious announcement by the philosopher of his imminent death. However, Derrida made this announcement through a complex discursive strategy that suggested a strong identification with the individual destinies and intellectual projects of Adorno and Benjamin. The personal turns out to have tremendous philosophical importance as it gives Derrida the opportunity to engage in an astonishing reassessment of the relationship between deconstruction and Critical Theory.