ABSTRACT
The fourth chapter discusses the Algerian war of independence as one of the birthplaces of post-structuralist theory. Many of the authors associated with so-called French theory did not come from France, but from North Africa. Avoiding the straightforward hermeneutical approach characteristic of much of the scholarship in this area, the chapter systematically analyzes the appearances of Algeria as a figure in the work of Derrida and Cixous, tracing how these authors use a narrative of origins to position themselves as outsiders in the realm of French philosophy.
