Machinic Unconscious Happy Hour Deleuze and Guattari - How Do You Make Yourself a Body Without Organs?
Aug 31, 2025
Charles Stivale, a Professor of French at Wayne State University and Deleuze and Guattari scholar, joins the conversation to unravel the intricate idea of the 'Body Without Organs.' They discuss the philosophical rifts stemming from key texts like 'Anti-Oedipus' and 'A Thousand Plateaus.' The dialogue navigates desire versus structure and the balance between freedom and societal constraints. Additionally, they explore the cultural impact of 1960s art movements, highlighting how these theories resonate within contemporary society and human agency.
01:34:05
Warwick Split Over Deleuze Practices
- Charles Stivale recounts a 1994 Warwick conference split over how to apply Body Without Organs ideas.
- He observed a faction determined to maximal deterritorialization despite Deleuze and Guattari's cautions.
Caution Against Wild Destratification
- Deleuze and Guattari explicitly warn against wildly destratifying without safeguards.
- They argue you must keep small supplies of subjectivity and mimic strata to experiment safely.
Lodge On A Stratum Then Test
- Lodge yourself in a stratum and test its opportunities before pushing limits.
- Experiment segment by segment and keep a small plot of new land to continue creation.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Philosophical Divides at Warwick: Deleuze and Guattari Revisited
01:52 • 8min
Navigating Balance: Strategies for De-Stratification and Survival
10:01 • 2min
Navigating Desire and Structure in Deleuze and Guattari
11:36 • 29min
Exploring the Body Without Organs
41:02 • 19min
Exploring the Creative Tapestry of 1960s Art Movements
01:00:00 • 4min
Exploring the Body Without Organs
01:03:49 • 10min
Exploring Deliometers and Philosophical Destratification
01:13:51 • 20min
#36734
Unfolding the Deleuze Seminars, 1970, 1987, Summaries and Commentary
Charles Stivale
Unfolding the Deleuze Seminars, 1970-1987: Summaries and Commentary offers insights into Gilles Deleuze’s seminars from the period 1970-1987.
In doing so, Stivale provides summaries and commentaries on all the seminars, spanning from Spinoza to Cinema, to Foucault and Leibniz.
This organization then enables Stivale to carefully and creatively explore different ways that the seminars are intrinsically linked with the three projects that Deleuze undertook towards the end of his career: his postscript on Control Societies, the Abécédaire, and What is Philosophy?
#32456
A Little Spinoza Book
Practical Philosophy
Gilles Deleuze
Spinoza: Practical Philosophy, authored by Gilles Deleuze, provides an insightful exploration of Spinoza's ethical and political thought.
Deleuze analyzes Spinoza's concept of conatus, the striving for self-preservation, and its implications for human action.
The book examines Spinoza's ideas on freedom, desire, and the relationship between the individual and society.
Deleuze highlights Spinoza's critique of traditional morality and his advocacy for a rational and affirmative approach to life.
Spinoza: Practical Philosophy offers a compelling interpretation of Spinoza's philosophical project, emphasizing its relevance for contemporary ethical and political concerns.
#50434
Bacon
Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Deleuze's book on Francis Bacon explores the painter's unique approach to figuration and sensation.
Deleuze analyzes Bacon's use of distortion, abstraction, and the diagram to create powerful and unsettling images.
The book examines Bacon's representation of the body as a site of intense forces and affects, challenging traditional notions of portraiture.
Deleuze argues that Bacon's paintings capture the essence of sensation, conveying a visceral and immediate experience to the viewer.
Francis Bacon: The Logic of Sensation is a seminal work in art theory, influencing discussions on abstraction, representation, and the relationship between art and philosophy.
#34628
The Anti-Oedipus Papers
Félix Guattari
The Anti-Oedipus Papers collects together for the first time the long-unavailable preliminary notes, drafts and preparatory material that Félix Guattari presented to Gilles Deleuze prior to the writing of their co-authored Capitalism and Schizophrenia, Volume 1: Anti-Oedipus.
This extensive volume of previously untranslated material sheds new light on Guattari’s unique and highly original theoretical perspective.
The Anti-Oedipus Papers is a critical resource for all students and scholars interested in the work of Guattari and Deleuze, radical philosophy and political theory.
#27539
Technical Objects
Gilbert Simondon
On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects, written by Gilbert Simondon, explores the role and significance of technical objects in society.
Simondon critiques the alienation of technology from human life, arguing for a more integrated and harmonious relationship.
The book examines the process of individuation in both natural and artificial systems, highlighting the dynamic interplay between humans and technology.
Simondon proposes a new understanding of technical objects as mediators between humans and the world, emphasizing their potential for enhancing human creativity and knowledge.
#28460
Spinoza Expressionism in Philosophy
Gilles Deleuze
#5925
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Logic of Sense
Constantin V. Boundas
Mark Lester
Charles Stivale
Gilles Deleuze
#3307
• Mentioned in 9 episodes
Dialogue
Bill Isaacs
#20934
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
On Painting
Charles Stivale
Gilles Deleuze
David Lapoujade
#17413
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Spinoza
Filosoof van de vrijheid
Ian Buruma
In "Spinoza: Filosoof van de vrijheid" onderzoekt Ian Buruma het leven en werk van de beroemde filosoof Baruch Spinoza.
Het boek duikt diep in Spinoza's filosofische ideeën, zijn conflicten met de Joodse gemeenschap en zijn invloed op de Verlichting.
Buruma schetst een levendig portret van Spinoza als een vrijdenker die zijn eigen weg ging, ondanks de risico's.
De lezer krijgt inzicht in Spinoza's radicale ideeën over God, de natuur en de menselijke vrijheid.
Het boek is een waardevolle bijdrage aan het begrip van Spinoza's filosofie en zijn blijvende relevantie.
#12241
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
Everything is Now
Primal Happenings, Radical Music, Underground Movies and the 1960s Avant Garde
J. Hoberman
#3849
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
What Is Ancient Philosophy?
Pierre Hadot
#1802
• Mentioned in 16 episodes
Anti-Oedipus
Félix Guattari
Gilles Deleuze
In 'Anti-Oedipus,' Deleuze and Guattari critique the Freudian/Lacanian psychoanalytic model of the ego, particularly the Oedipus complex.
They argue that human desire is not rooted in familial relationships but in broader socio-political contexts.
The book introduces the concept of 'schizoanalysis,' a method aimed at freeing desire from capitalist and familial repression.
It delves into the relationship between capitalism and schizophrenia, suggesting that capitalism exploits and commodifies desires rather than repressing them.
The authors propose a radical analysis that synthesizes political economy and psychology, introducing concepts such as desiring-machines, deterritorialization, and the body-without-organs.
#5346
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Difference and Repetition
Paul Patton
Gilles Deleuze
#2423
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
Ethics
R. H. M. Elwes
Baruch Spinoza
Written between 1661 and 1675 and published posthumously in 1677, *Ethics* is a comprehensive philosophical work divided into five parts.
It addresses the nature of God, concluding that God is intrinsic to the universe rather than outside it.
The treatise dissects the human mind and body, explores the notion of free will and good and evil, and analyzes the origin and strength of emotions.
Spinoza argues that reason is the sole means to achieve virtue and freedom from emotional bondage.
The work is characterized by its use of Euclid's step-by-step logical method to prove various propositions.
#1767
• Mentioned in 16 episodes
A Thousand Plateaus
Capitalism and Schizophrenia
Félix Guattari
Gilles Deleuze
A Thousand Plateaus is a key text in the 'Capitalism and Schizophrenia' series by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.
It advances a unique philosophical approach that draws from but critiques both Freudian and Marxist theories.
The book is structured as a series of 'plateaus' that can be read in any order, each exploring different concepts such as rhizomes, stratification, and the distinction between smooth and striated space.
It is essential reading for those interested in critical theory, feminism, literary theory, and contemporary Western culture.
#14728
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Nietzsche and Philosophy
Gilles Deleuze
In *Nietzsche and Philosophy*, Deleuze presents a comprehensive and innovative interpretation of Nietzsche's thought.
The book challenges conventional philosophical ideas, particularly Hegelian dialectics, and introduces key concepts such as multiplicity, becoming, and affirmation.
Deleuze argues that Nietzsche's philosophy breaks with traditional dialectical methods and opens a new avenue in post-war thought.
The work is acclaimed for its scholarly rigor and imaginative interpretation, influencing figures like Michel Foucault and shaping the landscape of French philosophy.
Charles Stivale joined us to discuss November 28, 1947: How Do You Make Yourself a Body Without Organs? from Deleuze and Guattari's landmark work, A Thousand Plateaus.
Stivale has authored six books in nineteenth and twentieth-century French and Francophone studies, has edited or co-edited three volumes of studies and six journal issues, has prepared translations of two major works, a half-dozen article, and the eight hour video interview with Gilles Deleuze, published (by MIT Press/Zone) as Gilles Deleuze, From A to Z (2012). He has also published eighty journal articles and chapters in edited volumes. His research fields have included study of the nineteenth-century French novel, twentieth-century critical theory and cultural studies, the writings of French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, and research on Louisiana Cajun music and dance culture. Between 2005 and 2011, he collaborated with the former director of the University of Florida Paris Research Center, Gayle Zachmann, to organize an annual meeting of scholars in nineteenth-century French studies.
A Thousand Plateaus Playlist:
https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/sets/a-thousand-plateaus?si=8df4d7a45bd444af84969fb20629d81d&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Dan Smith's Episode on Deleuze's The Fold:
https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/daniel-w-smith-deleuzes-the-fold?si=29e1f5718f394a59b441ae4fcddf0e70&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Charles Episode on the ABC's of Deleuze:
https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/charles-stivale-the-abcs-of-deleuze?si=7e3c396f9973460f8738e2b6acd3d841&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Charles and Dan's Episode on Deleuze and Painting:
https://soundcloud.com/podcast-co-coopercherry/charles-stivale-dan-smith-painting-and-the-question-of-concepts?si=f22a83b54ac3466c970bf3bc2fd49146&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Deleuze Tee Shirt Link:
https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/6989967-minimal-deleuze-philosophy-of-gilles-deleuze-rhizo
Photo of Deleuze Lecturing:
https://share.google/images/YYVmKv9zVtX2gsA4n
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