We Must Dismantle the Face: Deleuze and Guattari on Faciality
May 7, 2021
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Sean from 'Buddies Without Organs' joins the podcast to discuss Deleuze and Guattari's 'Year Zero: Faciality'. They examine the role of the face in the deployment of political power, focusing on the face of Jesus as the face par excellence. They discuss implications for imperialism, racism, and transphobia. Other figures discussed include Heidegger and Foucault.
The face functions as a historical object that mediates and deploys political and social power.
Facialization imposes social norms based on race, gender, and sexuality, reducing subjectivity.
Caution is necessary when pursuing lines of flight to avoid destructive consequences.
Deep dives
The Concept of Dolos and Gatori in Philosophy
This podcast episode explores the concepts of Dolos and Gatori in philosophy. The hosts and guest discuss their fascination with these philosophers and the playfulness found in their works. They highlight the importance of developing a creative reading of Dolos and Gatori's ideas and the generative nature of engaging with their texts. The episode emphasizes the need to view faces and landscapes as abstract notions that can be inserted into real-life situations. It also warns about the danger of going too far in rejecting subjectification or straying too far from the path, as this can lead to detrimental consequences.
The Construction of Faces and Face-iality
The podcast delves into the construction of faces and face-iality. It discusses the idea of the white wall and the black hole and how faces are formed through subjectification. The hosts explore the political dimension of face-iality, including its relationship to power structures and racism. They emphasize the need to challenge and disrupt the norms and binaries associated with faces, while also acknowledging the risks involved in rejecting subjectification entirely. The episode examines the concept of the counter-Christ and the danger of re-establishing the same power structures when attempting to evade them.
The Risks and Limitations of Lines of Flight
The podcast episode examines the risks and limitations of lines of flight. It emphasizes that there are no guarantees in the struggle for emancipation and warns about the potential destruction and madness that can result from pursuing lines of flight without caution. The hosts discuss the importance of knowing the partiality of one's face and the necessity of creating new possibilities within the existing frameworks. They highlight the need to resist the danger of de-stratifying too quickly and becoming susceptible to totalitarian ideologies. The episode emphasizes the significance of love and political approaches in discovering compatible and composable lines of flight.
The Contingency of Faces and the Power Dynamics of Facialization
The podcast explores the notion that faces and facialization are contingent upon historical and imperialist forces, leading to a reduction of subjectivity. It argues that the face assigns meaning and imposes social norms based on race, gender, and sexuality. By examining primitive societies and the role of the face in Western culture, it highlights the limitations and oppressive nature of facialization. This analysis becomes particularly relevant in the context of facial recognition technologies and the need to challenge and resist the dominant norms imposed by the face.
Exploring Christ as a Symbol of Facialization and Resistance
The podcast delves into the depiction of Christ and its implications for facialization and resistance. It examines how the portrayal of Christ as a white man within Western Christianity represents a form of imperialist and racialized facialization. The podcast discusses medieval paintings that highlight the facial semiotic and its impact on perceptions of race and power. Additionally, it explores the concept of resisting identification and becoming like a child, emphasizing the importance of playfulness, inventiveness, and escaping the limitations imposed by facialization. It prompts reflection on the potential for new categories and resistance movements that reject the divisive nature of facialization in pursuit of a more inclusive and liberated understanding of identity.
What is the role of the face in the construction of societies and the development their forms of political power? In today's episode, we are joined by Sean from 'Buddies Without Organs', a philosophy podcast which conducts close readings of the work of Deleuze and Guattari. Together, we examine the plateau entitled "Year Zero: Faciality" from Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus. We discuss the emergence of the face as a historical object which functions as a component in the deployment and mediation of forms of political and social power. In particular, we focus on the importance of the face of Jesus of Nazareth depicted as a 'White Christ', a visage which Deleuze and Guattari claim to be the face par excellence, one to which all other faces become subordinated. Moreover, the construction of the face entails serious implications for imperialism, racism, transphobia, and other political issues. Other figures discussed: Heidegger and Foucault.
