Derrida, Deconstruction and Political Theory

The seminar will feature a talk by Lasse Thomassen (School of Society and Environment, Queen Mary University of London), based on his recent book Derrida, Deconstruction and Political Theory (Oxford University Press, 2026). The presentation will be followed by comments from four discussants, a response by Prof. Thomassen, and a final Q&A session open to all participants.

The discussants will be:
António Baião (CEPS, University of Minho)
Ines Zampaglione (CEPS, University of Minho)
Thomás Zicman de Barros (CEVIPOF, Sciences Po)
Giuseppe Ballacci (CEPS, University of Minho)

Abstract: Drawing on the work of Jacques Derrida and other post-structuralists, this seminar explores deconstruction as a distinctive way to practice political theory. Lasse Thomassen shows familiar critiques of deconstruction as relativist and apolitical to be misconceived and argues for deconstruction as a critical approach to contemporary politics and society. We contrast deconstruction with other approaches to political theory, including analytic philosophy, critical theory, liberalism, deliberative democracy and biopolitical approaches. Developing the argument around political concepts such as rights, justice, sovereignty, democracy and populism, the seminar examines how one may combine the deconstructive readings of these political concepts with engagements with contemporary political phenomena such as 9-11, Covid-19, Donald Trump and post-truth.

Bio: Lasse Thomassen is Professor of Politics in the School of Society and Environment, Queen Mary University of London. He is the author of, among others, Deconstructing Habermas (2007) and Derrida, Deconstruction and Political Theory (2026). He is currently working on poststructuralist discourse theory as method, on deconstruction as a method for conceptual analysis, and on the concept of political representation.