"The Gift of Death", Jacques Derrida's most sustained consideration of religion, explores questions first introduced in his book "Given Time" about the limits of the rational and responsible that one reaches in granting or accepting death, whether by sacrifice, murder, execution, or suicide. Derrida analyzes Czech philosopher Jan Patocka's "Heretical Essays in the Philosophy of History" and develops and compares his ideas to the works of Heidegger, Levinas, and Kierkegaard. One of Derrida's major works, "The Gift of Death" resonates with much of his earlier writing, and this highly anticipated second edition is greatly enhanced by David Wills' updated translation.This new edition also features the first-ever English translation of Derrida's "Literature in Secret". In it, Derrida continues his discussion of the sacrifice of Isaac, which leads to bracing meditations on secrecy, forgiveness, literature, and democracy. He also offers a reading of Kafka's "Letter to His Father" and uses the story of the flood in "Genesis" as an embarkation point for a consideration of divine sovereignty.

雅剋•德裏達（1930—2004），20世紀後半期最重要的法國哲學傢之一，曾任教於巴黎高等師範學校、巴黎社會科學高等研究院、加州大學人文學院等，並創建國際哲學學院。他開創瞭解構的思想方法，成為後結構主義的主要代錶，其理論動搖瞭傳統人文科學的基礎，也是各種後現代思潮最重要的理論起點之一。20世紀90年代前後，德裏達越來越關注當代政治和倫理論題，在研討班和著作中進行更富有現實意味的解構實踐，引起瞭廣泛持久的探討和爭論。

王欽，畢業於美國紐約大學比較文學係，哲學博士，現為北京大學國際批評理論研究中心博士後。譯著有《新自由主義簡史》、《根本惡》（閤譯）、《野性唯物主義》（主譯）等。