Jacques Derrida: Father of Deconstruction Dies at 74

Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher best known for developing deconstruction. Born on July 15, 1930, in El Biar, Algeria, he moved to France and studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris.

His 1967 books Of Grammatology, Writing and Difference and Speech and Phenomena challenged traditional ideas about language and meaning. His work influenced philosophy, literary theory, law and architecture. He taught at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and at several American universities.

Derrida died of pancreatic cancer in Paris on October 9, 2004, at age 74. He was married to psychoanalyst Marguerite Aucouturier and had two sons.

Achievements: Of Grammatology (1967), founder of deconstruction, professor at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes.

Birth: July 15, 1930 - El Biar, Algeria.

Profession: Philosopher.

Interesting Facts: A 2002 documentary film about him was titled simply Derrida.