A Voice that Must be Silenced — In the Name of Reason : A Reading of D'un ton apocalyptique adopté naguère en philosophie

Derrida identifies a discourse based on reason and another on revelation. Kant rejects the latter, as it contains a tone that entails subjectivity, speculation and claims to knowledge by mystical means. It may also be argued that acceptance of revealed or intuitive knowledge legitimises conspiracy theories, with grave political consequences. Yet a pure and plain discourse is conceptually impossible. The upside is that this gives space to the human subject as interpreter. Derrida’s essay on an ‘apocalyptic tone’ puts the finger on the need for revelation and for a debate regarding what kind of knowledge is valorised.