Germs of Death

<p><b>An analysis of Derrida's early work engaging Plato Hegel and the life sciences.</b></p><p><i>Germs of Death</i> explores the idea of genesis or dissemination in the early work of Jacques Derrida. Looking at Derrida's published and unpublished work from Force and Signification in 1963 to <i>Glas</i> in 1974 Mauro Senatore traces the development of Derrida's understanding of genesis both linguistically and biologically and argues that this topic is an overlooked thread that draws together Derrida's readings of Plato and Hegel. Demonstrating how Derrida's analysis liberates the understanding of genesis from Platonic and Hegelian presupposition Senatore also highlights Derrida's engagement with the biological thought of his day. Senatore also shows that the implications of Derrida's insights extend into contemporary ethical and political questions relating to postgenomic conceptions of life.</p>