On October 11, 1999, renowned philosopher Jacques Derrida, Professor of Philosophy, École des
Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, visited the University at Albany and presented a lecture on "The Future of the Profession or the Unconditional University." Derrida's visit was sponsored by the Department of English and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Derrida is a central figure in the development of post-modernist thinking. His approach to social, textual, and cultural analysis, known as "Deconstruction," has become influential in a variety of fields—literature, art, philosophy, law, architecture, and history. In literature and history, "deconstructive" readings
challenge the idea that texts have unchanging, unified meanings. Needless to say, deconstructionist approaches to the study of history have been highly controversial.
On October 11, 1999, renowned philosopher Jacques Derrida, Professor of Philosophy, École des
Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, visited the University at Albany and presented a lecture on "The Future of the Profession or the Unconditional University." Derrida's visit was sponsored by the Department of English and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Derrida is a central figure in the development of post-modernist thinking. His approach to social, textual, and cultural analysis, known as "Deconstruction," has become influential in a variety of fields—literature, art, philosophy, law, architecture, and history. In literature and history, "deconstructive" readings
challenge the idea that texts have unchanging, unified meanings. Needless to say, deconstructionist approaches to the study of history have been highly controversial.