ABSTRACT
The crowd filled every nook and cranny of the huge space in the Sheldonian Theater. Derrida walked in expecting to use “the format of the discussion” which he thought “would be more appropriate than a formal lecture.” However, sitting on the majestic stage, facing a vast, intensely focussed audience, he soon realized that he might have made what he called “a mistake,” for had he chosen the lecture format, he would have had “prepared something, [and he] would [have been] protected by a written text.” As he started to respond to Alan Montefiore’s first question, he was further informed that “there [would] be no questions from the floor.” So much for the discussion format… With a warm, somewhat shy smile, Derrida gave a “philosophical” shrug, then, eyes twinkling with his usual sense of humor, he declared: “So, that’s the first threat to human rights!”
