Deleuze,as I'm sure you all know, is a great admirer of the work of Spinoza,
having two of the best books on Spinoza that I have read. I've been doing
some work on Spinoza recently and I cannot help but see the connections
between Spinoza and the Buddhist stuff that has been on the list recently.
Maybe we can tie this together via Spinoza - Deleuze getting his Buddhist
connections from Spinoza, or expressing his Buddhist inclinations by also
seeing them in Spinoza.
Spinoza offers us adequate vs. inadequate ideas. Adequate refer to the
essence of something. Inadequate refer to the existence of something.
Existence is the object that we experience - this is inadequate because
it sees the object as static and distinct from the rest of the world.
The essence of the thing is its power/force - the world is nothing more than
a dynamic interplay of forces. When we see the world in this way, the
boundaries betwwen particular things dissolve. A force can only be understood
in a context of forces - it must be pushing against other forces so to speak.
So, experience of essences is one that involves inter-connectivity - a
multiplicity of forces - etc.
Anyway, that is a very brief and crude summary of what is going on in one
small part of the labyrinth of Spinoza's philosophy! This si the way that I
have been taking D+G - reading through Spinoza who I knew already - I think
that this may be the way to emphasise the connections that are going on
with Buddhism/Zen/Tao.
The stuff about the mind being a system of ideas is also in Spinoza (and
Hume). Deleuze says in his book on Hume - 'perhaps the problem of the mind
is no more than the habit of saying'I'(!)'.
The Spinoza picture attacks the linear conception of time - only objects
begin and end - forces continually interact 'eternally'. Can anyone
help me out with D+G on time? I cannot find much on time in ATP -
what are your thoughts?
Thanks,
John Sellars.
------------------
having two of the best books on Spinoza that I have read. I've been doing
some work on Spinoza recently and I cannot help but see the connections
between Spinoza and the Buddhist stuff that has been on the list recently.
Maybe we can tie this together via Spinoza - Deleuze getting his Buddhist
connections from Spinoza, or expressing his Buddhist inclinations by also
seeing them in Spinoza.
Spinoza offers us adequate vs. inadequate ideas. Adequate refer to the
essence of something. Inadequate refer to the existence of something.
Existence is the object that we experience - this is inadequate because
it sees the object as static and distinct from the rest of the world.
The essence of the thing is its power/force - the world is nothing more than
a dynamic interplay of forces. When we see the world in this way, the
boundaries betwwen particular things dissolve. A force can only be understood
in a context of forces - it must be pushing against other forces so to speak.
So, experience of essences is one that involves inter-connectivity - a
multiplicity of forces - etc.
Anyway, that is a very brief and crude summary of what is going on in one
small part of the labyrinth of Spinoza's philosophy! This si the way that I
have been taking D+G - reading through Spinoza who I knew already - I think
that this may be the way to emphasise the connections that are going on
with Buddhism/Zen/Tao.
The stuff about the mind being a system of ideas is also in Spinoza (and
Hume). Deleuze says in his book on Hume - 'perhaps the problem of the mind
is no more than the habit of saying'I'(!)'.
The Spinoza picture attacks the linear conception of time - only objects
begin and end - forces continually interact 'eternally'. Can anyone
help me out with D+G on time? I cannot find much on time in ATP -
what are your thoughts?
Thanks,
John Sellars.
------------------