Unconditional Translation: Derrida's Enlightenment-to-Come

Abstract

This essay traces the genealogy of Derrida's phrase "Enlightenment to come" (Lumières à venir) in his writings of the 1990s and especially Voyous (2003), looking at his references to both the historical Enlightenment and the "new Enlightenment" and their gradual entwinement with his concept of "democracy to come." More than other forms of the "à venir" that traverse his work, the "Enlightenment to come" focuses on language, specifically on translation. Derrida's reflections on translation, from his early work to the final weeks of his life, point to an understanding of language as dialogue, hospitality, and reconciliation.

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