Deleuze and Evolutionary Theory
Edited by Michael James Bennett, Tano S. Posteraro
- Finds a strong convergence in Deleuze and Guattari’s work with new directions in evolutionary theory
- Thinking about the symbiosis between philosophy and science in new ways
- Summarises, interprets and evaluates of Deleuze’s relationship to evolutionary theory, from Darwin through Ruyer
- Resists a straightforward characterisation of Deleuze as a critic of evolution, instead looking at his debt to – and his inheritance, reconfiguration and anticipation of – a number of tendencies integral to evolutionary thought, both in its historical and emerging dimensions
Deleuze and Evolutionary Theory gathers together contributions by many of the central theorists in Deleuze studies who have led the way in breaking down the boundaries between philosophical and biological research. They focus on the significance of Deleuze and Guattari’s engagements with evolutionary theory across the full range of their work, from the interpretation of Darwin in Difference and Repetition to the symbiotic alliances of wasp and orchid in A Thousand Plateaus. In this way, they explore the anthropological, social and biopolitical significance of the convergences and divergences between philosophy and evolutionary science.
Contributors
Barry Allen, McMaster University, Canada.
Michael James Bennett, University of King’s College in Halifax, Canada.
Claire Colebrook, Penn State University, USA
Erin Hortle, University of Tasmania, USA.
Paul-Antoine Miquel, University of Toulouse II – Jean Jaurès, France.
Johan Normark, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Tano S. Posteraro, Penn State University, USA.
Jon Roffe, Deakin University and Melbourne School of Continental Philosophy, Australia.
Daniel W. Smith, Purdue University, USA.
Hannah Stark, University of Tasmania, Australia.
Introduction: Historical Formations and Organic FormsMichael James Bennett and Tano Posteraro
1. Unnatural NuptialsBarry Allen
2. The Egg: Deleuze between Darwin and RuyerJon Roffe
3. Framing Sexual Selection: Elizabeth Grosz’s work on Deleuze, Darwin and FeminismErin Hortle and Hannah Stark
4. Deleuze, Developmental Systems Theory, and the Philosophy of Nature Michael James Bennett
5. Deterritorialisation and Creative Involution: A Note on Guattari and DeleuzePaul-Antoine Miquel
6. Hydrosocial Becomings: Evolutionary Perspectives on Water Assemblages and Maya KingshipJohan Normark
7. Against Social Evolution: Deleuze and Guattari’s Social TopologyDaniel W. Smith
8. Epigenesis and the OutsideClaire Colebrook
Packed with searching and detailed analyses, this volume brings the study of Deleuze’s relations with biology — that on which he relied, but also contemporary developments — into its maturity. From Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire to Darwin, Ruyer, Oyama, and many others, from genomics to epigenetics and beyond, the book’s breadth provides constant provocations to thought.
