Who Is Jacques Derrida? Age, Biography and Wiki
Jacques Derrida was born on July 15, 1930, in El-Biar, Algeria. He passed away on October 8, 2004, leaving behind a profound impact on philosophy and literary theory. Renowned for developing the concept of deconstruction, Derrida's work challenges traditional interpretations of texts and has introduced new ways of thinking about language and meaning. In 2025, we reflect on his pioneering contributions to post-structuralism, existentialism, and deconstruction, which continue to inspire scholars and students alike.
| Occupation | Environmentalist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | July 15, 1930 |
| Age | 74 Years |
| Birth Place | El Biar, French Algeria |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Country | Algeria |
| Date of death | 9 October, 2004 |
| Died Place | Paris, France |
Popularity
Jacques Derrida's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific measurements are not widely documented for Jacques Derrida, it is noted that he had a slender physique typical for someone of his height (approximately 5’8” / 173 cm). His presence, both in academic circles and public appearances, was characterized by his distinctive style and thoughtful demeanor.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Jacques Derrida was married to Marguerite Aucouturier, with whom he had a family. They had three children together. During his lifetime, Derrida maintained a relatively private family life, choosing to focus on his relationships with his philosophy colleagues and students rather than on his personal relationships in the public eye. At the time of his death, Derrida’s family remained supportive of his work and legacy, emphasizing the strong bonds he fostered within his family throughout his life.
His family was Sephardic Jewish (originally from Toledo) and became French in 1870 when the Crémieux Decree granted full French citizenship to the Jews of Algeria.
His parents named him "Jackie", "which they considered to be an American name", although he would later adopt a more "correct" version of his first name when he moved to Paris; some reports indicate that he was named Jackie after the American child actor Jackie Coogan, who had become well known around the world via his role in the 1921 Charlie Chap
lin film The Kid.
He was also given the middle name Élie after his paternal uncle Eugène Eliahou, at his circumcision; this name was not recorded on his birth certificate unlike those of his siblings, and he would later call it his "hidden name".
Net Worth and Salary
Although specific figures regarding Jacques Derrida's net worth are not publicly available, it is well-known that his career as a prominent philosopher, lecturer, and writer brought him considerable recognition and financial success. Many of his books have remained influential in academia, contributing to ongoing discussions and studies in philosophy and critical theory. Derrida's long-standing involvement in the academic community suggests that he earned a respectable income during his years as a professor and public intellectual.
Career, Business and Investments
Derrida’s career spanned several decades, during which he published extensively—writing over 40 books and hundreds of essays. His pivotal works include "Of Grammatology," "Writing and Difference," and "Margins of Philosophy." Beyond academia, Derrida contributed to cultural discussions, influencing fields such as literary theory, law, politics, and gender studies.
Throughout his life, Derrida engaged in dialogues across disciplines and often collaborated with fellow philosophers and writers. Although his philosophical endeavors did not extend to business in the traditional sense, the impact of his work continues to ripple throughout various sectors, including education and arts.
During his career, Derrida published over 40 books, together with hundreds of essays and public presentations. He has had a significant influence on the humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, literature, law, anthropology, historiography, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, psychoanalysis, music, architecture, and political theory.
Social Network
Derrida was known to engage with various academic and intellectual communities, but there is no direct record of him maintaining an active social network in the way public figures might today. He often interacted with other scholars through conferences, lectures, and publications, which helped to galvanize a network of thinkers influenced by his ideas. Posthumously, his philosophy is still a subject of discussion in academic circles on social media platforms and various online forums.
Jacques Derrida (born Jackie Élie Derrida; 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was a French Algerian philosopher. He developed the philosophy of deconstruction, which he utilized in a number of his texts, and which was developed through close readings of the linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and Husserlian and Heideggerian phenomenology.
He is one of the major figures associated with post-structuralism and postmodern philosophy although he distanced himself from post-structuralism and disavowed the word "postmodernity".
Education
Jacques Derrida attended the University of Algiers, where he initially studied philosophy. He continued his education at École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he delved deeply into the works of existentialists, linguists, and structuralists. Derrida’s education laid the groundwork for his contributions to philosophy and critical theory, and he went on to teach at prestigious institutions, including the University of California, Irvine, and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris.
Into the 2000s, his work retained major academic influence throughout the United States, continental Europe, South America and all other countries where continental philosophy has been predominant, particularly in debates around ontology, epistemology (especially concerning social sciences), ethics, aesthetics, hermeneutics, and the philosophy of l
anguage.
For the last two decades of his life, Derrida was Professor in Humanities at the University of California, Irvine. In most of the Anglosphere, where analytic philosophy is dominant, Derrida's influence is most presently felt in literary studies due to his longstanding interest in language and his association with prominent literary critics.
He also influenced architecture (in the form of deconstructivism), music (especially in the musical atmosphere of hauntology), art, and art criticism.
