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C o lu m b ia
U n iv ersity
Press w ishes
to express
its a p p re c ia tio n
for assistance
g iv e n
b y th e
governm ent
of France
th ro u g h
Le M inistere
d e la C u ltu re
in the
p re p a ra tio n
o fth is
tra n s la tio n .
C o lu m b ia
U n iv ersity
P r e s s
N ew
Y o rk
C hichester,
W est
S u s s e x
P o u r p a r le r s
@
1 9 9 0
by Les
E d itio n s
d e
M in u it
T ra n s la tio n
c o p y rig h t@
1 9 9 5
C o lu m b ia
U n iv ersity
P r e s s
A ll rig h ts
re s e rv e d
L ib ra ry
of Congress
C a ta lo g in g -in -P u b lic a tio n
D a ta
D e le u z e , G ille s ,
[P o u rp a rle rs,
1 9 7 2 -1 9 9 0 . E n g lis h ]
N e g o tia tio n s ,
1 9 7 2 -1 9 9 0
/ G ille s D e le u z e
: translated
b y M artin
J o u g h in .
p .
em . -
(E u ro p e a n
p e rs p e c tiv e s )
In c lu d e s
b ib lio g ra p h ic a l
re fe re n c e s
a n d in d e x .
IS B N 0 -2 3 1 -0 7 5 8 0 -4
(alk. paper)
1 . P h ilo s o p h y .
I.T itle
II. S eries.
B 2 4 3 0 .D 4 5 3 P 6 8
1 9 9 5
1 9 4 -d c 2 0
e
9 5 -1 3 4 3 8
C asebound
e d itio n s
o f C o lu m b ia
U n iv e rs ity P re s s b o o k s a re p rin te d
on perm anent
a n d d u ra b le
acid-free paper.
P rin te d
in th e U n ite d
S ta te s o f A m e ric a
c1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
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. . J
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1 9 - ')
.
C O N T E N T S
p a rt
o n e .
F ro m
A n ti-O e d ip u sto A T h o u s a n d P la te a u s
Letter to a H arsh
C ritic
G ille s D e le u z e
a n d F e lix G u a tta ri
o nA n ti-O e d iP u s
On AT h o u s a n d P la te a u s
p a rt
tW O .
C in e m a s
T h re e
Q u e s tio n s
o n
S ix T im e s T w o
O n
T h e M o v e m e n t-Im a g e
O n
T h e T im e -Im a g e
D o u b ts A b o u t th e Im a g in a ry
L e tte r to S e rg e D a n e y : O p tim is m ,
Pessim ism , and T ravel
p a rt
th re e .M ic h e l F o u c a u lt
B re a k in g
T h in g s O p e n , B re a k in g
W ords Open
L ife as a W ork of A rt
A Portrait
o f F o u c a u lt
p a rtf o u r.P h ilo s o p h y
M e d ia to rs
O n P h ilo s o p h y
O n L e ib n iz
L e tte r to R e d a B e n s m a ia , o n S p in o z a
(
3
1 3
2 5
3 5
3 7
4 6
5 7
6 2
6 8
8 1
8 3
9 4
1 0 2
1 1 9
1 2 1
1 3 5
1 5 6
1 6 4
J O H NC A R R O L L
U N IV E R S IT YL IB R A R Y
.." q :
,~ " ;" ,~ .:,,
L E T T E R
T O
A
H A R S H
C R IT IC
Y o u 'r e
c h a rm in g ,
clever, m ischievous,
e v e n
v ic io u s
som etim es.
Y ou
m ig h t try to b e a b it n ic e r.
. . because
th e le tte r y o u 'v e
sent m e, turn-
in g
som etim es
o n
w hatp e o p le say, som etim es
o n
what you
y o u rs e lf
th in k , o r a m ix tu re
o f th e
tw o , is b a s ic a lly a s o rt o f c e le b ra tio n
of m y
s u p p o s e d ly
sorry predicam ent.
Y o u te ll m e , o n th e o n e h a n d ,
that I'm
tra p p e d ,
c o m p le te ly
tra p p e d -in
m y life , m y te a c h in g ,
p o litic a lly -
th a t I'v e b e c o m e
a lo u s y c e le b rity , b u t n o t fo r lo n g , a n d
th e re 's
n o th -
in g I c a n d o a b o u t it a ll. Y o u te ll m e , a ls o , th a t I'v e a lw a y s ju s t ta g g e d
a lo n g
b e h in d
y o u , th e
re a l
e x p e rim e n te rs
o r
h e ro e s ,
s u c k in g
y o u r
b lo o d , s a v o rin g y o u r p o is o n s , b u t k e e p in g
at a safe distance
to w atch
a n d c a p ita liz e
o n w h a t y o u 'r e
d o in g . T h a t's
n o t h o w I s e e it a t a ll. R e a l
a n d
p re te n d
s c h iz o p h re n ic s
a re g iv in g m e s u c h
a hard
tim e
that I'm
s t a r t i n g
to s e e th e a ttra c tio n s
of paranoia.
L o n g
liv e p a ra n o ia .
W h a t's
y o u r le tte r s u p p o s e d
to inspire, apart from
a b it o fressentim ent (y o u 're
tra p p e d ,
y o u 'r e
tra p p e d ,
" a d m it
it". . . ) and
a b it o f g u ilt
( y o u 'v e
g o t
n o
s e 1 f~ re s p e c t,y o u 're
ju s t
ta g g in g
a lo n g .
. . ); if th at's
a ll y o u 'v e
g o t
b : > s a y ,w h y b o t h e r ?
Y o u 're g e ttin g
y o u r o w n b a c k fo r h a v in g w ritte n
a
b o o k a b o u t m e . Y o u r le tte r's
full of false sym pathy and
a real thirst for
te v e n g e .
I n
th e firs t p la c e , th o u g h ,
you m ight rem em ber
it w a s n 't m y id e a ,
th is b o o k . Y o u s a y y o u
d id
it " fo r a la u g h ,
fo r n o
g o o d
re a s o n ,
fo r
m o n e y , fo r s o c ia l a d v a n c e m e n t."
I 'm
n o t su re
it's the
best w ay to get
4
.
F R O M
A N T I-O E D IP U S
T O
A
T H O U S A N D
P L A T E A U S
a ll th a t. T h e n
a g a in , th a t's y o u r b u s in e s s , a n d I to ld y o u fro m
the start
th a t y o u r b o o k w a s n o th in g
to d o w ith m e , th a t I w a s n 't g o in g
to read
it, o r I w o u ld re a d
it w hen
it c a m e o u t, a s s a y in g s o m e th in g
about you.
Y ou cam e to see m e asking for som ething
o r o th e r y o u c o u ld p u t in it.
A n d re a lly ju s t to b e n ic e to y o u , I s u g g e s te d
an exchange
of letters-
~
sim p ler
a n d
le s s te d io u s
th a n
a
ta p e d
in te rv ie w .
O n
th e
u n d e r-
s ta n d in g
th a t th e le tte rs w o u ld b e p rin te d
q u ite
s e p a ra te ly
fro m
y o u r
book, as a sort of appendix.
Y o u 're a lre a d y
ta k in g a d v a n ta g e
of m e by
d is to rtin g
o u r
agreem ent
som ew hat,
a n d
c o m p la in in g
th a t
I'v e
b e h a v e d
lik e s o m e o ld D u c h e s s e
de G uerm antes
s a y in g ''Y o u w ill h e a r
fro m
m e ," lik e a n o ra c le te llin g y o u to u s e th e m a il, o r lik e R ilk e re fu s -
in g to g iv e a n y a d v ic e to a y o u n g
p o e t. O h , p a tie n c e .
.
B e in g
k in d
is n 't,
it m ust
b e
said, your
stro n g
p o in t.
If I
e v e r
s to p p e d
lik in g
a n d
a d m irin g
p e o p le
a n d
(som e)
th in g s ,
I 'd
fe e l
dead, deadened.
B u t y o u lo t, y o u s e e m
to h a v e b e e n
b o rn
th o ro u g h -
ly b itte r, y o u s n e e r
a t e v e ry th in g :
"N obody
fo o ls m e
. . . I'm
d o in g
a
b o o k
a b o u t y o u , b u t y o u 'll s e e . . . " O f a ll p o s s ib le in te rp re ta tio n s
y o u
g e n e ra lly
c h o o s e
th e
m ost base or spiteful.
E x a m p le
num ber
one: I
lik e a n d
ad m ire
F o u c a u lt.
I w ro te an article
a b o u t h im . A n d h e w ro te
Q Ile a b o u t
m e, from
w h ic h
y o u
q u o te
th e
rem ark:
"M aybe one
d a y
w e 'll s e e th e c e n tu ry
a s D e le u z ia n ."
Y our version
o f th is is th a t w e 're
tra d in g
c o m p lim e n ts .
I t d o e s n 't
s e e m
to c ro s s y o u r m in d
th a t I m ig h t
re a lly
ad m ire
F o u c a u lt,
o r
th a t
his little
r e m a r k 's
a jo k e
m eant
t o
m ake
p e o p le
w ho
lik e
u s
la u g h ,
a n d
m ake
e v e ry o n e
e ls e
liv id .
T h e r e 's
a p ie c e
y o u
k n o w
th a t
e x p la in s
th is
in n a te
s p ite fu ln e s s
o f
p e o p le
w ho com e
fro m
th e
m ilitan t
left: "If you like big ideas,
th e n
t r y
ta lk in g
a b o u t
k in d n e s s
a n d
fra te rn ity
at a leftist m eeting.
T h e y
s p e c ia liz e
i n
all fo rm s
o f c a re fu lly
c a lc u la te d
a n im o s ity , in g re e tin g
anybody, present
o r a b s e n t, frie n d
or foe, and
a n y th in g
th e y s a y , w ith
a g g re s s iv e n e s s
a n d
p u t-d o w n s .
T h e y
d o n 't
w a n t to u n d e rs ta n d
p e o -
p le , b u t to c h e c k
th e m
over.". Y ou're
c h e c k in g
m e over very careful-
ly 'in
y o u r
le tte r.
I rem em ber
a g u y fro m
Gay Lib
o n c e
s a y in g in
a
m e e tin g
th a t it w a s ju s t a s w e ll th e y w e re a ro u n d
to b e o u r g u ilty c o n -
s c ie n c e .
. . W e ird a m b itio n ,
b it lik e a c o p , to b e s o m e o n e 's
g u ilty c o n -
s c ie n c e . A n d y o u to o , it's a s th o u g h
y o u th in k
d o in g
a book
a b o u t
(o r
a g a in s t)
m e gives you som e pow er over m e. N o w ay.T he
id e a
o ffe e l-
'.A q a p te d
fro m
"L es
C u ls
energum enes,"
R e c h e r c h e s(M arch
1 9 7 3 ),
p p .
1 4 2 -4 3 ,1
I I .
L e tte r
to a H arsh
C ritic .
5
in g g u ilty is , fo r m e , ju s t a s re p u g n a n t
a s b e in g
som eone
e ls e 's g u ilty
c o n s c ie n c e .
E x a m p le
num ber
tw o : m y fin g e rn a ils ,
w h ic h
a re
lo n g
b e c a u s e
I
d o n 't
c u t th e m . A t th e
e n d
o f y o u r le tte r
you say my worker's jacket
( i t 's
a c tu a lly
a
p e a s a n t's
ja c k e t)
is like
M arily n
M o n r o e 's
p le a te d
b o d ic e
a n d
m y fin g e rn a ils
a re
like G reta
G a r b o 's
d a rk
glasses. A nd
y o u s h o w e r m e w ith iro n ic
a n d
s p ite fu l a d v ic e . A s y o u m e n tio n
th e m
several tim es, m y fingernails,
le t's c o n s id e r
th e m . O n e
m ig h t s a y th a t
m y m o th e r
u s e d
to c u t th e m
for m e and
it's to do w ith the
O e d ip u s
c o m p le x
a n d
c a s tra tio n
(a rid ic u lo u s
in te rp re ta tio n
but a psychoana-
ly tic a l o n e ).
O ne
m ig h t
a ls o
n o te ,
lo o k in g
at m y fingertips,
th a t
I
h a v e n 't
g o t th e n o rm a l
p ro te c tiv e
w h o rls , s o th a t to u c h in g
a n y th in g ,
especially fabric, causes such
irrita tio n
th a t I n e e d
lo n g
n a ils to p ro -
te c t th e m
(a te ra to lo g ic a l,
s e le c tio n is t
in te rp re ta tio n ).
Or one
m ig h t
s a y , a n d
it's tru e , th a t I d re a m
o f b e in g , n o t in v is ib le , b u t im p e rc e p ti-
b le , a n d
th e c lo s e s t I c a n g e t to th e d re a m
is h a v in g fin g e rn a ils
I can
k e e p
in m y pockets, so I find
n o th in g
m ore
d is c o n c e rtin g
th a n
som e-
b o d y
lo o k in g
a t th e m
(a s o c ia l p s y c h o lo g is t's
in te rp re ta tio n ).
O ne
m ig h t, fin a lly , s a y : ''Y o u m u s tn 't
b ite y o u r fin g e rn a ils ,
b e c a u s e
th e y 're
p a rt
o f y o u ; if y o u lik e fin g e rn a ils ,
b ite
o th e r
p e o p le 's
if y o u w a n t to
a n d g e t th e c h a n c e "
(a D a rie n -s ty le 2 p o litic a l in te rp re ta tio n ).
B ut you,
you choose
th e
s h a b b ie s t
in te rp re ta tio n
of all: he w ants to be differ-
e n t, w a n ts to d o a G a rb o . It's s tra n g e , a n y w a y , h o w n o n e
o f m y frie n d s
h a v e e v e r c o m m e n te d
o n m y n a ils , fin d in g
th e m
p e rfe c tly
n a tu ra l,
a s
th o u g h
th e y 'd
ju s t
la n d e d
th e re
lik e
s e e d s
b lo w n
i n
th e
w in d
th a t
n o b o d y
b o th e rs
m e n tio n in g .
I'll com e, now , to your first criticism , w here you find all sorts of dif-
ferent w ays of saying: Y ou're stuck, you're
tra p p e d ,
a d m it it.T he
p u b -
l i c
p ro s e c u to r.
I 'm
n o t
a d m ittin g
a n y th in g .
S in c e
w h a t's
at issue,
th ro u g h
n o fa u lt o f m in e , is a b o o k
a b o u t m e , I 'd
lik e to e x p la in
h o w
I see w hat I've w ritten.
I b e lo n g
to a g e n e ra tio n ,
o n e
o f th e la s t g e n -
e ra tio n s ,
th a t w a s m o re
o r le s s b lu d g e o n e d
to d e a th
w ith the
h is to ry
o f p h ilo s o p h y .
T he
h is to ry
o f p h ilo s o p h y
p la y s a p a te n tly
r e p r e s s iv e
ro le in p h ilo s o p h y ,
it's p h ilo s o p h y 's
ow n version
o f th e O e d ip u s
com -
p le x :
''Y o u c a n 't
s e r io u s ly
c o n s id e r
saying what
y o u
y o u rs e lf
th in k
u n til
y o u 'v e
re a d
th is
a n d
th a t,
a n d
th a t
o n
th is , a n d
th is o n
th a t."
M any m em bers
o f m y g e n e ra tio n
never broke
free of this; others
d id ,
b y
in v e n tin g
th e ir
ow n
p a rtic u la r
m e th o d s
a n d
n e w
r u le s ,
a
n e w
of 00

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