Pol Deman

Pol Deman (1919-1984) was a Belgian-born literary critic and philosopher, considered one of the most influential figures in deconstruction. He was a key member of the Yale School of deconstruction and is best known for his work on rhetoric, metaphor, and the limitations of language in conveying meaning.

Deman's critical approach often focused on close readings of literary texts, revealing inherent contradictions and ambiguities that undermined the possibility of stable or coherent interpretation. He argued that language is fundamentally unreliable and that any attempt to fix meaning is ultimately self-defeating.

His major works include Blindness and Insight: Essays in the Rhetoric of Contemporary Criticism (1971), Allegories of Reading: Figural Language in Rousseau, Nietzsche, Rilke, and Proust (1979), and The Resistance to Theory (1986). These works explored the relationship between rhetoric and literature, highlighting the ways in which language can both illuminate and obscure meaning.

Deman's career was later shadowed by the discovery of previously unknown wartime writings he had published in Belgian newspapers during the Nazi occupation. These articles, which contained antisemitic sentiments, sparked considerable controversy and led to debates about the relationship between his literary theory and his personal history. The ethical and political implications of these writings continue to be a subject of scholarly discussion. His work remains a significant, albeit controversial, contribution to literary theory and critical thought.