Jacques Derrida the French philosopher developed his critical technique known as deconstruction. His work is associated with ideas surrounding both post-structuralism & post-modern philosophy & he was known to have challenged some of the unquestioned assumptions of our philosophical tradition. In this Very Short Introduction Simon Glendinning explores both the difficulty & significance of the work of Derrida. He presents Derridas challenging ideas as making a significant contribution to & providing a powerful reading of our philosophical heritage. Defending Derrida against many of the charges that were placed against him he attempts to show why Derrridas work causes such extreme reactions. Glendinning explains Derridas distinctive mode of engagement with our philosophical tradition & shows that this is not a merely negative thing. By exploring his most famous & influential texts Glendinning shows how & why Derridas work of deconstruction is inspired not by a critical frenzy but by a loving respect for philosophy.