Date of Award
2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Theory and Criticism
Supervisor
Prof. Calin Mihailescu
Abstract
This essay introduces Gilles Deleuze into the discourse of comparative philosophy. As the narrative sense of its title suggests, it will perform an encounter between the writings of the philosopher and the “encounter dialogue” literatures of Zen Buddhism. Comparative philosophy as it is generally practiced is a hermeneutic endeavour; nomadology is not. Martin Heidegger’s later dialogical writings are here explored as a central inspiration for comparative philosophy’s modern form. Despite doing much to unhinge some of the central presuppositions of the western tradition, comparative philosophy generally labours under a representational image of thought. Following Deleuze’s critique, such a theoretical formation can ultimately generate only its own conformities. Plugging Deleuze’s theory of the encounter and his logic of sense into the discourse effects a substantial change in how inter-traditional thinking advances, challenging and successfully avoiding some of its conventional interpretive impasses. A series of intensities is further explored between Deleuze and Zen and a kind of cross-traditional “DeleuZenal” stammering is produced.
Recommended Citation
MacDonald, Darren, "(En)Counter Dialogues: Gilles Deleuze Encounters Comparative Philosophy" (2006). Digitized Theses. 4666.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4666