Abstract: In 1949 work, The Accursed Share, Bataille establishes the universality of the fundamental excess he calls the « accursed share » by studying its diverse manifestations in societies. While the socio-economic dimension of his reflection prevails, Bataille nevertheless invites his reader to understand it in a broad sense, including its literary application to which he alludes but does not develop further. This chapter examines the ways in which Bataille’s discourse on excess and expenditure in turn informs Derrida’s critical analysis.
