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Gilles Deleuze

A Thousand Plateaus

"A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia" is a groundbreaking work by French philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, first published in French in 1980 and in English in 1987. This book is the second part of their two-volume project, "Capitalism and Schizophrenia," which seeks to critique and deconstruct the dominant socio-political and cultural paradigms of modernity. "A Thousand Plateaus" is a complex and challenging work that defies easy categorization. It is a philosophical manifesto, a sociological critique, and a literary experiment all at once. The authors propose a radical rethinking of the relationship between the individual and society, knowledge and power, and stability and change. They argue that modernity is characterized by a "plateau" of interconnected systems and structures that are constantly in flux and that this fluidity is both a source of oppression and a potential site of resistance. The book is divided into twenty-five "plateaus," each of which explores a different aspect of this complex system. These plateaus range from discussions of nomadology, deterritorialization, and becoming-woman to analyses of rhythm, faciality, and the war machine. Throughout the book, Deleuze and Guattari draw on a wide range of sources, including anthropology, literature, mathematics, and psychoanalysis, to support their arguments. One of the key concepts in "A Thousand Plateaus" is the idea of "rhizome," which the authors use to describe a non-hierarchical, non-linear, and decentralized system of connections. In contrast to the traditional "arborescent" model of knowledge, which is based on a hierarchical structure of categories and subcategories, the rhizome is a horizontal network of interconnected nodes. This concept has had a significant impact on a wide range of fields, including philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies. "A Thousand Plateaus" is a dense and challenging work that requires careful reading and interpretation. However, it is also a rewarding and thought-provoking book that offers a unique perspective on some of the most pressing issues of our time. It is a must-read for anyone interested in philosophy, sociology, cultural studies, or critical theory...