The Motif of the Messianic: Law, Life, and Writing in Agamben's Reading of Derrida

The Motif of the Messianic is the first sustained commentary on Giorgio Agamben’s use of the messianic, with a view of his polemical relationship to Jacques Derrida. Arthur Willemse explains Agamben’s move beyond Derrida by way of his critical intervention in the Aristotelian concept of potentiality and the ensuing transformation of the role of theology and theist assumptions within philosophy. Willemse argues that it is not the case that Agamben announces the redundancy of theology, but instead he revitalizes it by changing its focus from the realm of the sacred toward the realm of the profane.

About the Author :
Arthur Willemse earned his PhD in philosophy at the University of Sussex.

Review :
The Motif of the Messianic: Law, Life and Writing in Agamben's Reading of Derrida by Arthur Willemse, is a solid investigation of one of the more interesting tales in recent continental philosophical scholarship. In The Motif of the Messianic, Arthur Willemse offers an interesting possibility for thinking outside the theological-atheist dichotomy. Willemse succeeds in renewing the conversation because his primary goal is not to define Derrida’s position, but to show how his conception of messianism serves as a point of departure for some of the most important discussions of philosopher Gorgio Agamben. . . . Willemse’s conceptualization of his book’s task is thought provoking: He is careful not to claim that Agamben formulated his philosophical ideas as an answer to Derrida’s messianic terminology; rather, he seeks to demonstrate how a certain reading of the Italian philosopher serves as a response to “Derridean” messianic thought. The Motif of the Messianic marks an important contribution to the ongoing literature exploring the relationship between Giorgio Agamben and Jacques Derrida, while also offering a fairly accessible introduction to both thinkers’ engagements with theological themes. Willemse’s study will surely contribute to these academic communities as they continue to develop. In The Motif of the Messianic, Arthur Willemse stages a much-needed, original dialogue between Giorgio Agamben and Jacques Derrida on the question of the messianic. Willemse convincingly argues that the basic ingredients of such a dialogue are to be found in Agamben’s and Derrida’s reflections on law, life and writing. Thus, this important book shows how a reflection on the messianic goes to the heart of the philosophical commitments of present-day continental thought. Arthur Willemse does a superb job of interpreting Agamben and Derrida in his new book. In the process he sheds light on the complex relations between life, truth, ontology, and theology. This is a pathbreaking study and a must read for all students and academics interested in the politics of writing and the challenges of deconstruction. This is a timely topic, contributing to Agamben scholarship which has only recently begun in a serious and sustained fashion. The decision to examine the relation between truth and life through an exploration of law and writing is unusual and shown very plausible as the study proceeds. Particularly impressive, to my mind, is the discussion of khora which allowed for the approximation of Derrida with a submerged messianic force, a figure like Bartleby. This is an original and timely analysis of the role of the motif of the messianic in Agamben’s work, a topic of central importance whose full meaning has yet to be truly excavated. Many have been misled by early misconceptions of Agamben as a so-called Messianic thinker. Willemse will set them back on the right track, as well as laying out a future map for how to read Agamen in terms of his complex, at times confusing, but always profound interactions with this central theological and political construction.