How do you make yourself a body without organs?

by Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari

The Body without organs is an image used by French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. It usually refers to the deeper reality underlying some well-formed whole constructed from fully functioning parts. At the same time, it may also describe a relationship to one's literal body.

Genres: Philosophy

34 pages, Paperback

About the author

Deleuze is a key figure in poststructuralist 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, then, 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. Later in his career he wrote some of the more infamous texts of the period, in particular, Anti-Oedipus and A Thousand Plateaus. These texts are collaborative works with the radical psychoanalyst Félix Guattari, and they exhibit Deleuze’s social and political commitment.

Gilles Deleuze began his career with a number of idiosyncratic yet rigorous historical studies of figures outside of the Continental tradition in vogue at the time. His first book, Empirisism and Subjectivity, is a study of Hume, interpreted by Deleuze to be a radical subjectivist. 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. He wrote on Spinoza, Nietzche, Kant, Leibniz and others, including literary authors and works, cinema, and art. Deleuze claimed that he did not write “about” art, literature, or cinema, but, rather, undertook philosophical “encounters” that led him to new concepts. As a constructivist, he was adamant that philosophers are creators, and that each reading of philosophy, or each philosophical encounter, ought to inspire new concepts. Additionally, 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.

He often collaborated with philosophers and artists as Félix Guattari, Michel Foucault, Guy Hocquenghem, René Schérer, Carmelo Bene, François Châtelet, Olivier Revault d'Allonnes, Jean-François Lyotard, Georges Lapassade, Kateb Yacine and many others.

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

did not teach me how to become a body without organs

[Elena Carmona · Rating 3 out of 5]

se lee un poco como cuando te vuelves a encontrar en twitter el copy de la paja a la crema

[matías saavedra · Rating 5 out of 5]

pensar el Cuerpo como concepto no es tarea fácil. Deleuze & Guattari no tan solo lo hacen, sino que postulan el desmembramiento del organismo que ha devenido en Cuerpo y que se ha asumido como natural desde hace ya un período tan lejano que se ha perdido. el organismo corresponde a la noción de Cuerpo hegemónica, es decir, la postulación de partes corporales que son utilizadas con un cierto fin constitutivo, biológico, aparentemente natural. pero, en ese contexto, el Cuerpo sin Órganos desafía aquellas cartografías volcadas sobre las corporalidades y desmantela la arbitrariedad del organismo en pos de una eventual caída. al igual que conceptualizarlo, no es tarea fácil, cuestión que se deja bien en claro a lo largo del texto. pero toda esta operación es una involución productiva, un plan de acción para poder obtener “agenciamientos capaces de conectarse con el deseo, de cargar efectivamente con los deseos, de asegurar en ellos las conexiones continuas, las uniones transversales”. bajo esa perspectiva, se trata de una cuestión esperanzadora. y eso es lo que más me gusta. no es que el Cuerpo deje de existir. más bien, es una forma de reconfigurarlo/desestratificarlo junto a sus subjetivaciones, deseos, pasiones y significancias.

Deleuze & Guattari explican que el pensar en un Concepto niega inmediatamente su inexistencia. y, así como el Cuerpo (entendido como la construcción hegemónica de normas preconizadas) es hoy en día un Concepto, espero que el concepto del Cuerpo sin Órganos pueda en algún momento derrocarla.

<3

[nat ～('▽^人) · Rating 5 out of 5]

happened to me once

[Alexa]

On the one hand, Deleuze's concept of a "body without organs" is intriguing. It suggests that by shedding societal and cultural constraints, we can achieve a sense of spiritual freedom. But let's be honest - that's easier said than done and if you actually succeed in doing this, you'll probably end up lying on the couch all day, staring at the ceiling, and contemplating the meaning of existence. In other words, you'll be a completely unproductive member of society.

In reality, we're all shaped by the world around us, whether we like it or not. We can't just will ourselves into becoming enlightened beings free from earthly concerns. We have to deal with the day-to-day realities of life, like paying bills, taking care of our health, and interacting with other people.

Moreover, the idea of a "body without organs" can be interpreted in some pretty bizarre ways. It conjures up images of shapeless blobs floating in space, which is hardly a desirable outcome for most of us. But perhaps it's just a way for academics to sound profound without actually saying anything useful. After all, if you're writing about the importance of shedding cultural and societal constraints, you're hardly going to be challenged on your ideas. It's the kind of pseudo-spiritual nonsense that can make people feel good without actually improving their lives in any meaningful way.

So, while Deleuze's ideas might appeal to those who are looking for a more spiritual approach to life, they're ultimately just a bunch of nonsense. If you really want to improve your life, try taking a walk, calling a friend, or, I don't know, eating a sandwich. You'll feel a lot better than trying to become some sort of disembodied entity.

[Enrico Ribeiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Alice Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

had to check if this was on here because it’s the greatest thing i’ve ever read for a class.

[Damian Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

So unbelievably good

[Maria Flórez · Rating 5 out of 5]

me lo leí 3 veces pa medio entender, que locurita