Gilles Deleuze and Metaphysics

Edited by Alain Beaulieu; Edward Kazarian and Julia Sushytska - Foreword by Arnauld Villani - Contributions by Alberto Anelli; Joshua Ramey; Adrian Switzer; Daniel Whistler; Rocco Gangle; Gregory Kalyniuk; Mary Beth Mader; Thomas Nail and Sjoerd van Tuinen

Deleuze remains indifferent to the ambient pathos related to the end of metaphysics and compares the undertakings of destruction, overcoming and deconstruction of metaphysics with the gestures of murderers. He considers himself “a pure metaphysician,” which is rather unique in the contemporary philosophical landscape. What are we to make of this and similar claims? What do they mean in light of the effort made during the last several centuries to overcome, overturn, destroy, or deconstruct metaphysics? If we consider Deleuze’s work more closely, might find him engaging in the kind of thinking that is commonly referred to as metaphysical? And if Deleuze is indeed a metaphysician, does this undercut the many insightful contributions of the twentieth century philosophers who dedicate their thought to bringing down Western metaphysical tradition? Or does it suggest that there is a sense of metaphysics that should nevertheless be preserved? These and similar questions are addressed in this volume by a series of international scholars. The goal of the book is to critically engage an aspect of Deleuze’s thought that, for the most part, has been neglected, and to understand better his “immanent metaphysics.” It also seeks to explore the consequences of such an engagement.

Lexington Books

Pages: 266 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-0-7391-7475-3 • Hardback • December 2014 • $120.00 • (£92.00)

978-1-4985-0867-4 • Paperback • March 2017 • $53.99 • (£42.00)

978-0-7391-7476-0 • eBook • December 2014 • $51.00 • (£39.00)

Subjects: Philosophy / Metaphysics, Philosophy / General, Philosophy / Continental Philosophy

Gilles Deleuze and Metaphysics

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Deleuze remains indifferent to the ambient pathos related to the end of metaphysics and compares the undertakings of destruction, overcoming and deconstruction of metaphysics with the gestures of murderers. He considers himself “a pure metaphysician,” which is rather unique in the contemporary philosophical landscape. What are we to make of this and similar claims? What do they mean in light of the effort made during the last several centuries to overcome, overturn, destroy, or deconstruct metaphysics? If we consider Deleuze’s work more closely, might find him engaging in the kind of thinking that is commonly referred to as metaphysical? And if Deleuze is indeed a metaphysician, does this undercut the many insightful contributions of the twentieth century philosophers who dedicate their thought to bringing down Western metaphysical tradition? Or does it suggest that there is a sense of metaphysics that should nevertheless be preserved? These and similar questions are addressed in this volume by a series of international scholars. The goal of the book is to critically engage an aspect of Deleuze’s thought that, for the most part, has been neglected, and to understand better his “immanent metaphysics.” It also seeks to explore the consequences of such an engagement.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 266 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-0-7391-7475-3 • Hardback • December 2014 • $120.00 • (£92.00)

978-1-4985-0867-4 • Paperback • March 2017 • $53.99 • (£42.00)

978-0-7391-7476-0 • eBook • December 2014 • $51.00 • (£39.00)

Subjects: Philosophy / Metaphysics, Philosophy / General, Philosophy / Continental Philosophy

Author

Alain Beaulieu is associate professor of Philosophy at Laurentian University.

Edward Kazarian teaches in the Philosophy and Religion Studies Department at Rowan University.

Julia Sushytska teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Leaving Metaphysics? Deleuze on the Event, Alberto Anelli
Chapter 2: Mathematics, Structure, Metaphysics: Deleuze and Category Theory, Rocco Gangle
Chapter 3: Difference and Speculation: Heidegger, Meillassoux, and Deleuze
on Sufficient Reason, Sjoerd van Tuinen
Chapter 4: The Physics of Sense: Bruno, Schelling, Deleuze, Joshua Ramey and Daniel Whistler
Chapter 5: The Obscure Metaphysics of Gilles Deleuze, Julia Sushytska
Chapter 6: Deleuze and Badiou on Being and the Event, Alain Beaulieu
Chapter 7: Disanalogous Being: Deleuze, Spinoza, and Univocal Metaphysics, Adrian Switzer
Chapter 8: Crowned Anarchies, Substantial Attributes, and the Transcendental
Problem of Stupidity, Gregory Kalyniuk
Chapter 9: Revolution and the Return of Metaphysics, Thomas Nail
Chapter 10: Whence Intensity? Deleuze and the Revival of a Concept, Mary Beth Mader

Reviews

Gilles Deleuze famously declared himself to be a "pure metaphysician" in an era when philosophy seemed preoccupied by the theme of overcoming metaphysics. As a consequence, perhaps, we have scarcely begun to explore the implications of the immanent metaphysics that Deleuze developed almost half a century ago. Alain Beaulieu, Edward Kazarian, and Julia Sushytska have here brought together an extraordinary collection of philosophers to explore the complex dimensions of Deleuze's project, from its mathematical roots to its political ramifications. The result is an extremely important volume that opens up new vistas on one of the fundamental aspects of Deleuze's philosophy.

— Daniel W. Smith, Purdue University