up:: Philosophy
Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Louis René Deleuze ( də-LOOZ, French: [ʒil dəløz]; 18 January 1925 – 4 November 1995) was a French philosopher who, from the early 1950s until his death in 1995, wrote on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular works were the two volumes of Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Anti-Oedipus (1972) and A Thousand Plateaus (1980), both co-written with psychoanalyst Félix Guattari. His metaphysical treatise Difference and Repetition (1968) is considered by many scholars to be his magnum opus.An important part of Deleuze’s oeuvre is devoted to the reading of other philosophers: the Stoics, Leibniz, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, and Bergson, with particular influence derived from Spinoza. A. W. Moore, citing Bernard Williams’s criteria for a great thinker, ranks Deleuze among the “greatest philosophers”. Although he once characterized himself as a “pure metaphysician”, his work has influenced a variety of disciplines across the humanities, including philosophy, art, and literary theory, as well as movements such as post-structuralism and postmodernism.
YouTube
Deleuze on the Image of Thought - YouTube
An introduction to Deleuze (what is philosophy) - YouTube
Concept Creation in Philosophy
Philosophy, according to Gilles Deleuze, is fundamentally about the creation of concepts. This idea is central to his book What is Philosophy?, co-written with Felix Guattari. They argue that philosophy's primary role is not about consensus or universal truth but about innovatively responding to ever-changing problems. The key element in Deleuze and Guattari’s philosophy is that concepts must evolve as new problems arise, suggesting a dynamic rather than static understanding of philosophical inquiry. Philosophy, in this view, constantly reinvents itself by creating new concepts to address new issues, which differentiates it distinctly from sciences that often seek permanent solutions to problems.
Philosophy and Its Social Role
Deleuze and Guattari highlight philosophy’s social implications by insisting it involves more than just academic debate; it plays a critical role in managing societal chaos. They contrast philosophy with science by suggesting that while science aims to stabilize and give precise names to elements of chaos (like categorizing emotions), philosophy deals with chaos by creating concepts that help us navigate complex human experiences without reducing their intensity. This process is described metaphorically: if science is a dam that controls and manages the flow of water, philosophy is like a sailboat that maneuvers through the winds of chaos, using them to move forward without seeking to tame them completely.
Accessibility and Complexity in Philosophy
Despite their profound contributions to philosophy, Deleuze and Guattari’s writings are notorious for their complexity and dense academic jargon, which can alienate those not deeply versed in philosophical study. This presents a paradox in their work; while they advocate for philosophy's active role in public discourse, their own texts remain largely inaccessible to the general public. This raises questions about the practical application of their philosophical ideas outside academic circles and whether philosophy should adapt to be more inclusive while retaining its depth and complexity.
“Philosophy is the art of creating concepts.”
“Communication only leads to consensus, which inevitably reinforces the dogmas of our society.”
“Philosophers always create concepts in response to problems.”
“If one can still be a Platonist, a Cartesian, or a Kantian today, it is because one is justified in thinking that their concepts can be reactivated in our problems and inspire those concepts that need to be created.”
“Philosophy gives consistency to chaos while preserving its intensity.”