non-linear time/thought

Re: non-linear time/non-linear thought

" 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?

John Sellars"

John,

For further reading on "the time problem", I'd suggest above all,
_The_Logic_of_Sense_ (which I have read, in English and French).
I suspect _Bergsonism_ (which I've only read sections of, +
sections of Bergson's writings, eg. _The_Creative_Mind_), and the
Cinema books, (which I've only glanced at), besides the Hume which
you mentioned, are likely also very good sources . Oh, and, of
course _Difference_and_Repetition_...
To start with _The_Logic_of_Sense_, it is an exploration of
becomings, wherein a linear conception of time, or chronic time, of
BEING, is opposed to split time, aionic time, or the time of
BECOMINGS. The time of the Aion is time that runs in both
directions at once, "the perverse moment" --to make the connection
with MM's interest in performance--in _The_Logic_of_Sense_. Aionic
time or space-time is the time of THE EVENT, the surface-event, or
problem. Linear thinking is contrasted with problematic thinking,
and Deleuze weaves his theory of singularities in and out of bits
and pieces of discussions on Lewis Carrol, (as logician,
photographer and writer), Stoic philosophy and proto-linguistics,
(their conception of the lekton, or the expressed and its relation
to expression as a whole), differential calculus (Lautman,
Proclus), as well as an early appreciation of Lacan (the phallus,
which Deleuze perversely and quite rightly equates with the lekton,
and the aleatory point), and so on! A wonderful read: I can only
commend it. It is Deleuze's second "synthetic" work, written in
series (perhaps a kind of proto-plateau) and thoroughly delirious.

In keeping with the last paragraph of your post, here's a taste
of what's to come:

Each thought forms a series in a time which is smaller
than the minimum of consciously thinkable continuous
time. Each thought emits a distribution of singularities.
All of these thoughts communicate in one long thought,
causing all the forms or figures of the nomadic distribution
to correspond to its own displacement, everywhere insinuating
chance and ramifying each thought, linking the "once and for
all" to "each time" for the sake of "all time". For only
thought finds it possible to *affirm all chance and to make
chance into an object of affirmation.* If one tries to
play the game in any way other than in thought, nothing
takes place, and if one tries to produce anything other
than a work or art, nothing is produced. This game is
reserved then for thought and art. (LS 60)


For other discussions of non-linear time, Bergsonism would
probably be your next best bet.

Bonne chance,

Karen
bjfc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx






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