Jacques Derrida's prolific output has been the delight (and sometimes the despair) of philosophers and literary theorists for over twenty years. His influence on the way we read theoretical texts continues to be profound. No serious contemporary thinker can fail to respond to 'deconstruction', even if many fail to come to terms with it, and there have been a number of monographs devoted to his work, not least by the contributors to this volume. Each author combines an intimate knowledge of Derrida's texts with an 'independent' philosophical stance. Each was asked -- in the most positive sense -- to take just such a critical approach. And the variety of response to this request -- many contributors problematize the very idea of a critical approach -- testifies to the traumatic effect Derrida has had on traditional philosophical certainties. This volume includes substantive papers by Jean-Luc Nancy, Michel Haar, John Llewelyn, Geoffrey Bennington, John Sallis, Robert Bernasconi, Christopher Norris, Irene Harvey, Manfred Frank, Richard Rorty and by Jacques Derrida himself -- introduced by David Wood. Its remit is neither to praise nor to bury Derrida, but to draw out and confirm the openings he gives to philosophy, and whatever thinking may succeed it.