Deleuze and Pragmatism

This collection brings together the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and the rich tradition of American pragmatist thought, taking seriously the commitment to pluralism at the heart of both. Contributors explore in novel ways Deleuze's explicit references to pragmatism, and examine the philosophical significance of a number of points at which Deleuze's philosophy converges with, or diverges from, the work of leading pragmatists. The papers of the first part of the volume take as their focus Deleuze's philosophical relationship to classical pragmatism and the work of Peirce, James and Dewey. Particular areas of focus include theories of signs, metaphysics, perspectivism, experience, the transcendental and democracy. The papers comprising the second half of the volume are concerned with developing critical encounters between Deleuze's work and the work of contemporary pragmatists such as Rorty, Brandom, Price, Shusterman and others. Issues addressed include antirepresentationalism, constructivism, politics, objectivity, naturalism, affect, human finitude and the nature and value of philosophy itself. With contributions by internationally recognized specialists in both poststructuralist and pragmatist thought, the collection is certain to enrich Deleuze scholarship, enliven discussion in pragmatist circles, and contribute in significant ways to contemporary philosophical debate.

Simone Bignall is Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellow and Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, Australia. She is the author of Postcolonial Agency: Critique and Constructivism (2010). She is co-editor of Deleuze and the Postcolonial (with Paul Patton, 2010) and Agamben and Colonialism (with Marcelo Svirsky, 2012). Sean Bowden is Lecturer in Philosophy at Deakin University, Australia. He is the author of The Priority of Events: Deleuze's Logic of Sense (2011) and the co-editor of Badiou and Philosophy (with Simon Duffy, 2012). Paul Patton is Scientia Professor of Philosophy at The University of New South Wales, Australia. He is the author of Deleuzian Concepts: Philosophy, Colonization, Politics (2010) and Deleuze and the Political (2000).

Preface Colin Koopman Introduction: Deleuzian Encounters with Pragmatism Sean Bowden, Simone Bignall and Paul Patton Part 1: Deleuze and Classical Pragmatist Thought 1. Infinite Pragmatics: Deleuze, Peirce, and the Habits of Things Jeffrey A. Bell 2. Barthes, Deleuze and Peirce: Pragmatism in Pursuit of the Sign James Williams 3. A More Radical Empiricism Gregory Flaxman 4. Error, Illusion, Deception: Deleuze against James Jon Roffe 5. Pluralism without Pragmatism: Deleuze and the Ambiguities of the French Reception of James Stéphane Madelrieux 6. 'Every existence is an event': Deleuze, Dewey, and Democracy Simone Bignall 7. Pragmatism and Difference: What's the Use of Calling Deleuze a Pragmatist? John J. Stuhr Part 2: New Pragmatisms 8. Redescriptive Philosophy: Deleuze and Rorty Paul Patton 9. The Rorty-Deleuze Pas de Deux Barry Allen 10. Antirepresentationalism and Objectivity in Rorty, Brandom and Deleuze Sean Bowden 11. Deleuze and the Pragmatist Priority of Subject Naturalism Simon B. Duffy 12. 'What Affects Are You Capable Of?': On Deleuze and Somaesthetics Wojciech Mäecki and Simon Schleusener 13. Transcendental Pragmatics? Deleuze, Pragmatism and Metaphilosophy Jack Reynolds 14. Pragmatic Finitudes Claire Colebrook