Qu'est-Ce Que La Philosophie?

Called by many France's leading intellectual, Gilles Deleuze is one of the

most important philosophers in the Western world. His acclaimed works and

celebrated collaborations with Felix Guattari have established him as a

seminal figure in the fields of philosophy, cultural studies, and literary

theory. The publication of What Is Philosophy? marks the culmination of

Deleuze's career. Deleuze and Guattari situate philosophy in the realm of

problems and possibilities. The book presents a revolutionary theory of

philosophy and in the process develops a new understanding of the

interrelationships among philosophy, science, and the arts. The authors

differentiate philosophy from science and the arts, seeing each domain as a

means of confronting chaos, and challenging the common view that philosophy is

an extension of logic. They discuss the similarities and distinctions between

creative and philosophical writing. Fresh anecdotes from the history of

philosophy illuminate the book, along with engaging discussions of composers,

painters, writers, and architects. A milestone in Deleuze's collaboration with

Guattari, What Is Philosophy? brings new perspectives to Deleuze's studies of

cinema, literature, painting, and music, while setting a brilliant capstone

upon his intellectual corpus. Newcomers to the two thinkers' writings will

relish the book's scope, energy, and inventiveness; veteran followers will

appreciate Deleuze and Guattari's fierce determination to grasp the elusive

meaning of philosophy in this, their last and most remarkable joint effort.