Product Description
by Alex Tissandier (Author)
Throughout Deleuze's work, we find two opposing characterisations of Leibniz. On the one hand, Deleuze presents Leibniz as a conservative theologian committed to justifying the order and harmony of a God-governed world. On the other, Leibniz appears as a revolutionary thinker credited with 'the most insane concept creation we have ever witnessed in philosophy'. Alex Tissandier traces Leibniz's ambiguous status for Deleuze to explain two key ideas in Deleuze's own philosophy: a concept of difference that is not reducible to a relation of contradiction and an account of the genesis of the world that does not presuppose the structure of representation.
Back Jacket
'Affirming Divergence is a deep, rigorous analysis that affirms the centrality of Leibniz for Deleuze's thought, providing a major contribution to our understanding of Deleuze's relationship to the history of philosophy, and to our understanding of his philosophy itself.' Henry Somers-Hall, University of London An account of Leibniz's influence on Deleuze's philosophy Alex Tissandier argues that an understanding of Deleuze's relationship to Leibniz is essential for a full understanding of his philosophy. Throughout Deleuze's work we find two opposing characterisations of Leibniz. On the one hand Deleuze presents Leibniz as a conservative theologian committed to justifying the order and harmony of a God-governed world. On the other, Leibniz appears as a revolutionary thinker credited with 'the most insane concept creation we have ever witnessed in philosophy'. Tissandier traces Leibniz's ambiguous status for Deleuze in order to provide a framework for explaining two key ideas in Deleuze's own philosophy: a concept of difference that is not reducible to a relation of contradiction and an account of the genesis of the world that does not presuppose the structure of representation. Alex Tissandier completed a PhD in philosophy at the University of Warwick in 2014 and is now an independent scholar. Cover image: details of portrait bust of Louis XIV (1638-1715), by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), marble. Versailles, Château De Versailles (c) akg-images / De Agostini Picture Lib. Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-1774-7 Barcode
Author Biography
Alex Tissandier completed a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Warwick in 2014 and is now an independent scholar.
