In Difference and Repetition , Gilles Deleuze launches a radical critique of Western metaphysics, arguing that philosophy has historically subordinated "difference" to "identity" and "representation." Deleuze proposes a reversal of this structure, advocating for an ontology where difference exists in-itself, independent of pre-defined concepts or subjects. By analyzing repetition not as a mechanical return of the same, but as a productive force creating novelty, this paper outlines how Deleuze shifts focus from being to becoming , from representations to intensive singularities. 1. Introduction: The Crisis of Representation
Question on Deleueze : Difference and repetition : r/askphilosophy Difference and Repetition
Traditional Western philosophy has consistently viewed difference through the lens of identity, opposition, analogy, and resemblance. For instance, a leaf is only defined as "different" when contrasted with another leaf (resemblance) or categorized within a general type (identity). Deleuze argues that this "image of thought" reduces the world to a static mental representation. In Difference and Repetition , Gilles Deleuze launches
Deleuze challenges us to look at the process before the object exists. In his view, reality is built on virtual "Ideas" that are composed of differential relations and singular points. These singularities are not yet physical objects, but they contain the genetic, virtual power that produces physical, actualized differences in the world. 3. Repetition: A Creative Force Deleuze challenges us to look at the process