i think there's a synthesis in waiting between the so-called 'postmodern' tradition and the so-called tradition of spiritual mysticism. in fact, at their best, i think mystics and postmoderns serve similar functions in their respective fields, that is, to see the god in everything (or as D&G write in Anti-Oedipus: 'we only believe in totalities that are on the periphery'). there's a fun Zen game of thinking of everyone as a Buddha, of cherishing the elaborate masks that we all wear, whether serial killers or grocery-store clerks or fundamentalist preachers or acid-taking college students or a child staring at her reflection in the mirror. valuing the process above the goal, striping the meaning from all final destinations, art for art's sake, revolution for revolution's sake, life for life's sake, these are shared anti-beliefs of both mysticism and D&G's writings. even the notion that life always gets itself dirty, that every writer is a sell-out, that no one is innocent and that everyone is innocent and that both these statements are true because both these statements are false, which is to leap beyond intellect, this is what a mystic and a nietzschean reach for, and never fail in failing to grasp, but banging one's head against the prison bars of existence is what makes the music. (i could go through a lot of academic juxtaposition, but i'd rather end like that, unless specific questions are raised.) :kev
--
On Sun, 28 Jul 2002 22:52:04 e m004 wrote:
>
>Thanks to everyone for replying to my initial query. I thought I might try
>to start discussion on a topic...
>Has anyone noticed while reading Anti-Oepdius and Thousand Plateaus that in
>their critique of capitalism D&G's language starts to resemble very much a
>spiritual language? Have connections been made between D&G and discourses
>on/about God? E.g., their emphasis on "becoming", the "middle" which is
>separated from all points and plateaus (like spiritual space that transcends
>all material points and plateaus), their concept of "line of flight" - like
>a leap of faith, perhaps, or any kind of transcendence from usual/material
>reality.
>
>Has anything been published in this area? What do others think? Does their
>critique of capitalism/psychoanalysis eventually reach a "limit" where a
>spiritual discourse could take over? I'd be grateful for any references...If
>there's interest, I can post passages I have in mind.
>
>EM
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