Language Subjects: Placing Derrida’s Monolingualism in Global Education

Abstract Derrida’s autobiographical and philosophical text Monolingualism of the Other; or, Prosthesis Origin is a partial recounting his own childhood upbringing in Algeria at time when it was colony France. It on one level reflection matters related to colonialism, especially effects imposition colonial language upon schooling wider practices education coming into world. Yet also opens onto structural questions about estrangement, unsettledness Unheimlichkeit such as they pertain characterise life more generally. This paper puts Other relation with contemporary discussions multilingualism learning context global agenda. The result, we shall see, destabilising assumptions that underpin agenda foreclose their democratic ethical aims. At same time, ways which subjects can be reconstructed new conception ethics humanities.