OUGD501: External Reading / Gilles Deluze

Deleuze is a key figure in postmodern French philosophy. Considering himself an empiricist and a vitalist, his body of work, which rests upon concepts such as multiplicity, constructivism, difference, and desire, stands at a substantial remove from the main traditions of 20th century Continental thought. His thought locates him as an influential figure in present-day considerations of society, creativity and subjectivity.  Notably, within his metaphysics he favored a Spinozian concept of a plane of immanence with everything a mode of one substance, and thus on the same level of existence.  

He argued "that there is no good and evil, but rather only relationships which are beneficial or harmful to the particular individuals.  This ethics influences his approach to society and politics, especially as he was so politically active in struggles for rights and freedoms."

In addition, Deleuze became known for writing about other philosophers with new insights and different readings, interested as he was in liberating philosophical history from the hegemony of one perspective. According to Deleuze and his concepts of 'difference', there is no identity, and in repetition, nothing is ever the same.  Rather, "there is only difference: copies are something new, everything is constantly changing, and reality is a becoming, not a being."

Difference or 'Differential Ontology' is discussed by Deleuze as a concept of organising the basis of existence in identity through the differences which separate us, rather than commonality of who we truly are. The theory is basically exploring the philosophical aspect what aspects make it (or a person) different. When relating it to the way graphic design and advertising target demographics it is imperative to understand the difference in 

 If philosophy was to adhere to traditional ways of understanding of things, perhaps its target will need to be concepts not rooted in identity, but in difference.

Information sourced from a written piece  published on The Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, sourced 04/04/17, by an unknown author.  (http://www.iep.utm.edu/deleuze/) & (http://www.iep.utm.edu/diff-ont/)

Links to Identity Politics and false consciousness ('the systematic mystification of the experience of the oppressed' by the perspective of the dominant ideology of identity at that time.