Monday, March 17, 2008

deleuze's ethics

I am in the process of trying to construct an idea of Deleuzian ethics. So far it seems we can find Deleuze's ethics from his understanding of Spinoza, his reading of Nietzsche's eternal return, and Nietzsche's division between active and reactive forces.

here is a quote from Deleuze's 'Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza':

'For according to Spinoza, Good has no more sense than Evil: in Nature there is neither Good nor Evil...But because there is no Good or Evil, this does not mean all distinctions vanish. There is no Good or Evil in Nature, but there are good and bad things for each existing mode...As Nietzsche put it, "beyond good and evil...at least this does not mean 'beyond good and bad'"...The distinction between good things and bad provides the basis for a real ethical difference, which we must substitute for a false moral opposition.' (p253-254)

As DeLanda would say, we need an ethics of assemblage, which should move beyond abstractions and into real experiences/differences. this is thinking ethically.

6 comments:

christopher higgs said...

Hi, I'm a first time visitor. I share your enthusiasm for Deleuze. You've got a great site. I intend to return.

Thom Brooks said...

Does this mean you'll be taking a close look at Spinoza (which I'd strongly recommend)?

Mark202 said...

thanks for the comment chris.

Thom, Spinoza has, for a while, been someone that remains in the backgroud of my thoughts. I continually read sections of 'ethics' and really enjoy it. What I need to do now is schedule time to read it substantially and slowly. To be honest, what really interests me about spinoza is his practical thought and dynamic materialism.

Thom Brooks said...

Look out then: a deep interest in Spinoza will surely lead to your reading Hegel and the British Idealists . . .

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