Introduction to my commentary on Jacques Derrida’s Given Time: 1. Counterfeit Money, published on this website as a series of posts
The focus of Jacques Derrida’s Given Time is the concept of gift. In the foreword to his book, Derrida outlines the role that the gift concept played in the evolution of his own thinking. It is clear from this that it is central to many of his writings; whether under its own name or through what he calls other “indissociable motifs,” which include: “speculation, destination…originary affirmation.”(x) The idea of gift therefore appears to be foundational for many other concepts.
Beyond philosophy the main thinking on the gift that Derrida comments upon is that which has taken place within the field of anthropology, of particular note is Marcel Mauss’s 1925 essay “The Gift.” This essay studies the gift-giving rituals of archaic societies in Micronesia, Polynesia and the Pacific Northwest; focusing on their role in the development of tribal social and economic structures.
My commentary on Given Time is contained in 38 linked posts, beginning with an extended introduction. The full list of posts is accessible through the Post Index below.
Derek Hampson
Derek Hampson 