Semester of Graduation
Spring 2023
Degree
Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (MALA)
Department
Philosophy
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
In this thesis, I situate Jacques Derrida’s politics between Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt through an analysis of Benjamin’s “destruction,” and Derrida’s “déconstruction.” In this analysis, I trace both Benjaminian destruction and Derridean déconstruction back to the problem of βία and πειθώ found in Plato’s Laws. Drawing on Plato’s Laws, and from Michael Naas’ analysis of πειθώ as persuasion (or turning) in Turning: from Persuasion to Philosophy, I conclude that Benjaminian destruction is a form of persuasion that is an originary
singing, and that Derridean déconstruction is a form of persuasion that is an originary interpreting.
Date
4-5-2023
Recommended Citation
Waldeck, James, "Specters of Schmitt: Situating Derrida's Politics Between Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt" (2023). LSU Master's Theses. 5765.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/5765
Committee Chair
François Raffoul
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_theses.5765