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 t
he fields of philosophy, cultural studies, and literary theory. The publication
of What Is Philosophy? marks the culmination of Deleuze's career. Deleuze and Gu
attari situate philosophy in the realm of problems and possibilities. The book p
resents a revolutionary theory of philosophy and in the process develops a new u
nderstanding of the interrelationships among philosophy, science, and the arts.
The authors differentiate philosophy from science and the arts, seeing each doma
in as a means of confronting chaos, and challenging the common view that philoso
phy is an extension of logic. They discuss the similarities and distinctions bet
ween creative and philosophical writing. Fresh anecdotes from the history of phi
losophy illuminate the book, along with engaging discussions of composers, paint
ers, writers, and architects. A milestone in Deleuze's collaboration with Guatta
ri, What Is Philosophy? brings new perspectives to Deleuze's studies of cinema,
literature, painting, and music, while setting a brilliant capstone upon his int
ellectual 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 t
his, their last and most remarkable joint effort.
