The Deleuze Dictionary

by Adrian Parr (Editor)

This dictionary, the first dedicated to the work of Gilles Deleuze, offers an in-depth and lucid introduction to one of the most influential figures in continental philosophy. It defines and contextualizes more than 150 terms relating to Deleuze's philosophy, including "becoming," "body without organs," "deterritorialization," "difference," "repetition," and "rhizome." The entries also explore Deleuze's intellectual influences and the ways in which his ideas have shaped philosophy, feminism, cinema studies, postcolonial theory, geography, and cultural studies. More than just defining and describing specific terms, the dictionary elaborates on Deleuze's ideas to reveal the varied applications of his philosophy.

The contributors, who include some of the most prominent Deleuze scholars, bring their expert knowledge and critical opinion to bear on the entries. Their work provides a range of theoretical, historical, and aesthetic contexts for anyone interested in Deleuzian thought.

Contributors include: Ronald Bogue, University of Georgia; Rosi Braidotti, Utrecht University; Claire Colebrook, University of Edinburgh; Tom Conley, Harvard University; Eugene Holland, Ohio State University; Tamsin Lorraine, Swarthmore College; Paul Patton, University of New South Wales; Kenneth Surin, Duke University; Alberto Toscano, Goldsmiths College

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2005

About the author

Adrian Parr Zaretsky, PhD, is an internationally recognized environmental, political, and cultural thinker and advocate, author, and filmmaker. She is the dean of the College of Design at the University of Oregon abd Senior Fellow at the Design Futures Council. Prior to joining the UO, she served as the dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington, and as the director of the Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati.

Adrian is a transdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of architecture criticism, aesthetics, political theory, and environmental studies. She’s authored nine books, the latest three of which focused on environmental politics and sustainability culture, and she has served as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) water chair for eight years.

Reviews

[Woke]

Helpful for novices trying to get a basic grasp of just what the hell a body without organs is, and generally a decent reference source, but in no way exhaustive of the Deleuzian lexicon.

[Grace Opie]

#academicweapob

[Eric Phetteplace]

The sections on terminology from Deleuze I haven't yet read (the Cinema books, The Logic of Sense, most of his philosopher-studies, particularly the one on Foucault) were really interesting and made me want to pick up those books, but too many disparate concepts get reduced to the same handful of values (creativity, "life", active force, affirmation) so that Deleuze comes off sounding like a happy-go-lucky schmuck. I would've liked more concrete examples, more uses of each term as a concept (in Deleuze's sense) rather the derivations (this comes from Bergson, this comes from Nietzsche, etc...). It was interesting though how the authors tried to get around the inner tensions and different senses of certain words he uses (i.e. the entry on "plane").

[Bradley]

Very Helpful. I use it all the time. Definitely a go-to guide for any budding Deleuzian.

[Ren]

Very helpful in understanding Deleuzian concepts.