Faith and Repetition in Kierkegaard and Deleuze

Abstract

This chapter links Deleuze’s and Kierkegaard’s thoughts on ethics and metaphysics to one another through a focus on the key concept of “repetition,” which forms a focal point in both philosopher’s writings. Contrary to conventional (Deleuzian) interpretations of Kierkegaard, the chapter argues that in fact Kierkegaard’s account of repetition as “faith” mirrors many of Deleuze’s own convictions regarding the role of repetition in selfhood. The chapter points out that for both philosophers, “repetition” in its most eminent sense will refer to a moment in which an individual is capable of eschewing conventional commitments to their inherited sense of identity, exposing them to the possibility of growth and becoming in line with their distinctive “singular” identity. After showing how this notion of repetition links Deleuze’s and Kierkegaard’s accounts of ethics and personal identity, the chapter goes on to address some of more conventional Deleuzian critiques of Kierkegaard’s account, as well as points out a notable shift in Deleuze’s own estimation of Kierkegaard between the earlier period of Difference and Repetitionand his later work in theCinemabooks.