Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza [Paperback]

Gilles Deleuze (Author), Martin Joughin (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 1992

In this extraordinary work Gilles Deleuze, the most renowned living philosopher in France, reflects on one of the figures of the past who has most influenced his own sweeping reconfiguration of the tasks of philosophy.Deleuze's brilliant text shows how current definitions of philosophy do not apply to Spinoza: a solitary thinker (yet scandalous and hated), he conceived of philosophy as an enterprise of liberation and radical demystification much as did Leibniz or, later Nietzsche. Spinoza confronts the grand philosophical problems that are still current today: the comparative role of ontology (the theory of substance), of epistemology (the theory of ideas), and of political anthropology (the theory of modes, passions, and actions).The goal of this book is to determine the rapport among the univocity of Being in the theory of substance; the production of truth and the genesis of sense in the theory of ideas; and practical joy (or the elimination of the sad passions) and the selective organization of the passions in the theory of modes.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this intricately argued work, Deleuze claims that expression is a key to understanding Spinoza's philosophy: If A expresses B, then A perfectly reproduces all of B's essential characteristics. Nature, for instance, expresses God's essence. Deleuze thinks that Spinoza's use of expression revolutionizes philosophy; God is no longer seen as the world's creator but is identical with it. Furthermore, expression characterizes not only the nature of reality but also the manner in which Spinoza presents his philosophy, for the order in which Spinoza presents his conclusions is supposed to copy the movement of reality. Deleuze maintains that Leibniz shared Spinoza's revolutionary stress on expression. By their use of this idea, they founded modern philosophy. In Deleuze's view, Descartes counts as pre-modern, since he did not use the notion of expression. While Deleuze's grasp of Spinoza's thought is penetrating, his study is suitable only for scholars.
- David Gordon, Bowling Green State Univ., Ohio
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 445 pages
• Publisher: Zone (February 18, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942299515
• ISBN-13: 978-0942299519
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #322,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > History > Europe > Netherlands

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For fans of either Deleuze or Spinoza, February 24, 2007

By 

Clark Bailey - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza (Paperback)

Though this book dates from the less well-known "academic" phase of Deleuze's career, and thus completely lacks the stylistic exuberance of his later works, you can immediately see how it pre-figures many of the concepts he was to create with Guattari. It is interesting, then, both from the perspective of studying Deleuze, as well as for its clear, almost dry, presentation of Spinoza's philosophy. In fact, the book can serve as a bridge between these philosophers irrespective of which of the two names drew you to the title: a Spinoza for the Deleuzians, and a Deleuze that even a Spinozist could love, the two tied together by a shared conception of pure immanence.

The plan of the book is based around the structure of the Ethics and outlines all the main points of Spinoza's masterpiece, starting with Substance and ending in Beatitude. Special care is taken to situate Spinoza with respect to his historical context, particularly next to the philosophies of Descartes and Leibniz. To this end, Deleuze develops his thesis that it is a shared philosophy of "expression" that, despite their differences, unites Leibniz and Spinoza in founding a post-cartesian philosophy. For readers of A Thousand Plateaus, the idea that Nature is expressive will come as no surprise, but seeing this in light of Spinoza adds a valuable depth to it.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Post-Structuralist Reading of the Rationalists, October 23, 1999

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Matthew F. Wettlaufer (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza (Hardcover)

Deleuze's interpretation of Spinoza's Ethics is lively and original; his description of the problem of attributes and modes as numerically distinct from substance but not ontologically so is helpful in understanding Spinoza's metaphysics. His discussion of power, as "pouvoir" and "puissance" and their relationship to active affections, is also fascinating for what it suggests about the possibility of a rational community. A must read for Spinoza students and those interested in the history of philosophy.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deleuze's minor thesis for professorship, April 14, 2008

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T. Laurie - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza (Paperback)

This is very strange intersection of popular media (and its evaluative mechanisms) and somewhat esoteric philosophy. I mean, really, who buys Expressionism in Philosophy on the basis of an Amazon review? I guess all I can contribute is that, for those with disposable incomes and a desire to familiarise themselves with Deleuze, Nietzsche in Philosophy is a much better starting point. You can then work chronologically, through Bergson etc. up to Spinoza, or perhaps buy the shorter Practical Philosophy as a reference point to aid in the reading of Expressionism. The Spinoza books are certainly indispensible for reading the D/Guattari collaborative works. This is the first paper back edition, as far as I'm aware.