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(1997) Man and World 30 (2).
"This project is mad"
Descartes, Derrida, and the notion of philosophical crisis
Gary Steiner
pp. 179-198
In "Cogito and the History of Madness," Derrida maintains that crisis is endemic to philosophy rather than being, as Husserl forcefully argued, a temporary condition that can and must be overcome through the resources of reason. A reflection on the place of madness in Descartes's Meditations serves as the point of departure for demonstrating that Derrida has done an injustice to philosophy; and a comparison of Derrida's views with the thought of Husserl, Heidegger, and Nietzsche reveals that Derrida's position in "Cogito and the History of Madness" entails a sacrifice of the notion of responsibility that lies at the center of meaningful historical action.
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Full citation:
Steiner, G. (1997). "This project is mad": Descartes, Derrida, and the notion of philosophical crisis. Man and World 30 (2), pp. 179-198.
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