Deleuze and the Problem of Affect

Abstract

Systematically analyses affect as the fundamental problem in and for Deleuze’s philosophy Re-examines Deleuze’s status as a pillar of affect theory and, a fortiori, affect theory itself Demonstrates simultaneously ‘radical’ and ‘conservative’ tendencies of Deleuze’s philosophy Develops affect as the operator of interdisciplinarity according to Deleuze Challenges the portrayal of Deleuze as an unambiguous champion of affect Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Deleuze has been pivotal for the recent ‘affective turn’ in philosophy and the humanities at large. Critics and proponents alike, however, have yet to appreciate the extent to which Deleuze himself remains profoundly ambivalent toward affect and embodiment in general. In this book, D. J. S. Cross argues that this ambivalence and its longevity have been overlooked because they only become apparent through a systematic analysis of affect throughout Deleuze’s work. By outlining how, from beginning to end, Deleuze’s system of thought both ruptures and complies with the tradition, Cross recalibrates Deleuze’s philosophy and the recent ‘affective turn’ that hinges upon it.