Deleuze

This book provides a clear and concise introduction to the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze. It analyses his key theoretical concepts, such as 'difference' and 'the body without organs', and covers all the different areas of his thought, including metaphysics, the history of philosophy, psychoanalysis, political theory, the philosophy of the social sciences and aesthetics. As the first book to offer a comprehensive analysis of Deleuze's writings, it reveals both the internal coherence of his philosophy and its development through a series of distinct phases. The book offers an entirely new interpretation of Deleuze's philosophy centred around the notion of thought as a capacity to form relations. These relations are embodied in nature, in language and in the unconscious, and in art, science and social practice. With this concept of embodied thought, "Deleuze" challenges our most entrenched beliefs about the self and about signs - whether linguistic or social. He develops an original theory of power and social systems and presents a method for understanding any signifying practice, from language and ritual to the unconscious, including cinema, literature, and painting. The book analyses the different strands in this theoretical edifice and shows its implications for a wide range of human sciences, from history and psychology to political theory and cultural studies.