Difference et repetition is a 1968 book by the french philosopher gilles deleuze. Deleuze wants to show that there is a materiality of expression that is also a. In his magnum opus difference and repetition, he tries to. The introduction to this text is a useful historical reference point, as are several chapters in francois dosse, deleuze and guattari. Upon first reading, the beginning of chapter 2 of difference and repetition, with its talk of contemplative souls and. Difference and repetition are such an alternative to the dialectic that theyre difficult to grasp without a serious grounding in metaphysics see his books on kant and hume especially, spinoza, and bergson. But the difference between these two philosophers couldnt be greater. Modern life is such that, confronted with the most mechanical, the most. Jan 01, 2004 since its publication in 1968, difference and repetition, an exposition of the critique of identity, has come to be considered a contemporary classic in philosophy and one of deleuze s most important works. He is the author of deleuze s difference and repetition. Unlike most of his contemporaries deleuze was a realist philosopher. Given the arrangement above, the skeleton of difference and repetition may not appear to be so difficult. Of fundamental importance to literary critics and philosophers,difference and repetition develops two central concepts.
By critically analysing deleuzes methods, principles and arguments, james williams helps readers to engage with the revolutionary core of deleuzes philosophy and take up positions for or against its most innovative and controversial ideas. Deleuze is noted for his influential critical writings. Repetition plays a significant, productive role in the work of both derrida and deleuze. This book by joe hughes and gilles deleuzes difference and repetition. Gilles deleuze 19251995 french philosopher and critic. It was deleuzes major thesis and his first statement of his own philosophical position and of the approach to. Using critical exegesis, the study shows that deleuze s model is precise and workable, capable of supplanting discredited accounts of the subject and nullifying charges that deleuze is an antihumanist. Much later in difference and repetition, deleuze outlines three features of difference in itself. He is interested in the interrelations of german idealism, phenomenology, and the philosophy of gilles deleuze. Add to this the difficulty with difference and repetition in particular, which is its density, and it becomes easy to feel overwhelmed here. It is an essential toolkit for anyone approaching deleuze for the first time.
Rather, concepts are markers of problematic fields, and our encounter with those fields will affectively change us. This collection combines 3 original essays by deleuze and foucault, in which they respond to each others work, with 16 critical essays by key contemporary scholars working in the field. Gilles deleuze, difference and repetition what difference does deleuze s difference make. Quoted in postel and al en, history and antipsychiatry in france, p. Deleuze conceived of philosophy as the production of concepts, and he characterized himself as a pure metaphysician. Outline of gilles deleuze, difference et repetition. Difference and repetition is a 1968 book by the french philosopher gilles deleuze. Preparing to learn from deleuzes difference and repetition. Project muse gilles deleuzes difference and repetition. Difference and repetition is a classic work of contemporary philosophy and a key text in deleuze s oeuvre, a brilliant exposition of the critique of identity that develops two key concepts.
This is certainly true of dr, in which deleuze attempts to prioritize the principle of difference over the principle of identity, all within the framework of. The competition has increased since that first edition, notably with joe hughess deleuzes difference and repetition. Sep 21, 2009 by contrast, what deleuze is after is ontological difference, or what he calls unilateral distinction, a difference in itself that acts or makes itself. Hitherto, we have always disguised what is different into categories of sameness, a moral valuation of identity over difference that underlies all traditional conceptions of what knowledge is. As adamknowledge ecology has mentioned, a few of us are doing a reading group on deleuzes difference and repetition. Difference and repetition serves as a revaluation of the way in which the multiplicity of forces in nature are categorized and evaluated. A revised, expanded and fully uptodate critical introduction to deleuzes most important work of philosophy. Gilles deleuze january 18, 1925november 4, 1995 was one of the most influential and prolific french philosophers of the second half of the twentieth century. Notes for introduction and chapter 1 of difference and repetition by deleuze by matt segall preface. Rather, difference and repetition conceptually works out a challenge to thinking of philosophy solely in terms of concepts as sets of signifiers. Deleuzes difference and repetition hardcover henry. Gilles deleuze, difference and repetition philpapers. In the former he argued against the devaluation of difference in western metaphysics and tried to show that difference inheres in repetition itself.
In this essay id like to help readers prepare to learn from gilles deleuzes difference. A critical introduction and guide by james williams and deleuzes difference and repetition. Gilles deleuzes difference and repetition edinburgh. With this in mind, the coherency of his thought is incredible.
It was translated into english by paul patton in 1994 difference and repetition was deleuze s principal thesis for the doctorat detat alongside his secondary, historical thesis, expressionism in philosophy. He is the author of hegel, deleuze, and the critique of representation 2012 and deleuzes difference and repetition 20, and coeditor of the cambridge companion to deleuze 2012. Like most works of great philosophical originality, writes james williams of gilles deleuze s difference and repetition hereafter dr, the book is as difficult as it is important 2. First, deleuze tells us that difference or intensity is the unequal in itself 232.
Every formula which implies their confusion is regrettable. Thought and repetition in bergson and deleuze request pdf. Fifty pages of deleuzes relentless pacing and his tackling of new and familiar problems in thick, luscious paragraphs of astounding conciseness and complexity is actually two or three times that number of pages for other writers. Machiavelli, historical repetition, and french philosophies of difference. Htmlgiant blog archive the beginners guide to deleuze. Difference et repetition is a 1968 book by philosopher gilles deleuze, originally published in france. Deleuzes difference and repetition is an initiatory text that, rather than putting. Other articles where difference and repetition is discussed. Difference and repetition is arguably gilles deleuzes most important work. He is considered by many to have been a philosopher whose writing reached beyond the. Deleuze asks how necessarily unconscious ideas are to be understood dr 1923.
Boundas, trent university philosophies of difference, where difference maintains its grounds from beginning to end without being eclipsed by identity, are exceedingly rare. Difference and repetition is a classic work of contemporary philosophy and a key text in deleuzes oeuvre, a brilliant exposition of the critique of identity that develops two key concepts. Joe hughes is a lecturer in the school of culture and communication, university of melbourne. The text follows the development of two central concepts, those of pure difference and complex repetition. Dec 20, 2001 when it comes to difference and repetition itself there are two commentaries which are fairly good though neither is perfect in my opinion. Repetition and difference repetition is not generality. As deleuze takes up the promise of kants initiative, no generalizing form of common sense is reintroduced. Deleuzes difference and repetition by joe hughes, 9780826426963, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The discussion of learning occurs at a key point in difference and repetition, at. Difference and repetition book by deleuze britannica.
We propose to think difference in itself independently of the forms of representation which reduce it to the same, and the relation of different to different independently of those forms which make them pass through the negative. A readers guide readers guides joe hughes this is a readers guide to arguably deleuze s most demanding work and a key text in modern european thought. Deleuzes difference and repetition edinburgh university press. Repetition and generality must be distinguished in several ways. Gilles deleuze is without question one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Difference and repetition was deleuzes principal thesis for the doctorat detat alongside his secondary, historical thesis. It is nothing less than a revolution in philosophy and stands out as one of the great philosophical works of the twentieth century. This brilliant exposition of the critique of identity is a classic in contemporary philosophy and one of deleuzes most important works. A readers guidelondon, continuum, 2009, which reads the work as a rewriting of kants critique of pure reason, and henry somershalls tightly argued deleuzes difference and repetition. Pdf difference and repetition download full pdf book. Differenceandrepetition pdf epub download cause of you. Deleuze and foucault had a long, complicated and productive relationship, in which each was at various times a significant influence on the other. A stepbystep guide to deleuze s difference and repetition that helps students to negotiate deleuze s vast range of sources and difficult, dense language. Since its publication in 1968, difference and repetition, an exposition of the critique of identity, has come to be considered a contemporary classic in philosophy and one of deleuze s most important works.
Deleuze has work to do, and believed in a quick stab in doing philosophy, in order to get it done and not hang up anywhere. Originally published in france, it was translated into english by paul patton in 1994. But his realist stance was deeply innovative and constituted a sharp break. A new edition of this introduction to deleuze s seminal work, difference and repetition, with new material on intensity, science and action and new engagements with bryant, sauvagnargues, smith. In the book, deleuze develops concepts of difference in itself and repetition for itself, that is, concepts of difference. Continuum readers guides continuums readers guides are clear, concise and accessible introductions to classic works of philosophy.
A readers guide and deleuze and the genesis of representation. Intersecting lives, columbia university press, new york, 2011. Ideas are structures of differential relations, elements, and. Difference and repetition was deleuzes principal thesis for the doctorat detat alongside his secondary, historical thesis, expressionism in philosophy.
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