Deleuze and Pragmatism

This collection brings together the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and the rich tradition of Pragmatist thought, providing a model for pluralist, boundary-crossing scholarship. Contributors explore Deleuze’s explicit and implicit relationship to American Pragmatism and investigate Deleuze’s thought at those points which are of most conceptual interest to philosophers currently working in the tradition of Pragmatism. By bringing together Deleuze’s philosophy and Pragmatist thought while remaining conscious of the differences between them, the collection aims to produce through a variety of conceptual frameworks capable of contributing to contemporary philosophical debate more broadly.

This collection brings together the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and the rich tradition of American pragmatist thought, taking seriously the commitment to pluralism at the heart of both. Contributors explore in novel ways Deleuze’s explicit references to pragmatism, and examine the philosophical significance of a number of points at which Deleuze’s philosophy converges with, or diverges from, the work of leading pragmatists. The papers of the first part of the volume take as their focus Deleuze’s philosophical relationship to classical pragmatism and the work of Peirce, James and Dewey. Particular areas of focus include theories of signs, metaphysics, perspectivism, experience, the transcendental and democracy. The papers comprising the second half of the volume are concerned with developing critical encounters between Deleuze’s work and the work of contemporary pragmatists such as Rorty, Brandom, Price, Shusterman and others. Issues addressed include antirepresentationalism, constructivism, politics, objectivity, naturalism, affect, human finitude and the nature and value of philosophy itself. With contributions by internationally recognized specialists in both poststructuralist and pragmatist thought, the collection is certain to enrich Deleuze scholarship, enliven discussion in pragmatist circles, and contribute in significant ways to contemporary philosophical debate.