A Thousand Plateaus V, The State Apparatus and the War Machine, Lecture 1, 6 November 1979

<p><em>The Deleuze Seminars</em> is a collection of audio recordings, transcriptions, and English translations of, and supplemental materials from, the lectures French philosopher Gilles Deleuze gave during his career at the University of Paris 8.</p>

<p>Following publication of <em>Anti-Oedipus</em> in 1972, Deleuze continues to develop the proliferation of concepts that his collaboration with Guattari had yielded. As part of this process of expanding concepts in order to produce the sequel of <em>Capitalism & Schizophrenia</em>, <em>A Thousand Plateaus</em>, this series of 13 lectures on “The State Apparatus and War Machines” constitutes the major seminar of 1979-80 and Deleuze’s penultimate consideration of these concepts. Deleuze first considers material begun during the previous year’s seminar, material corresponding to plateaus 12 (1227: Treatise on Nomadology – The War Machine), 13 (7000 B.C.: Apparatus of Capture), and 14 (1440: The Smooth and the Striated). [The final consideration of these concepts will take place in the May-June 1980 two-session seminar on “Anti-Oedipus and Other Reflections”.</p>

<p>In session 1, 06 November 1979, linking this seminar<strong> </strong>with these previous one, Deleuze reviews earlier work, then outlines a set six of oppositions: the fundamental, abstract opposition of war machine vs. State apparatus, or also “apparatus of capture”, equating the war machine with nomadic organization as a riposte toward the State apparatus; next, the perspective of <em>composition</em>; third, a perspective of <em>activity</em>; fourth, the point of view of <em>expression</em>; fifth, Deleuze raises the point of view of <em>feeling</em>; sixth, the point of view of <em>violence</em>, Deleuze insisting that in this regard, the State apparatus violence is “already there” and present, the war machine violence always on the horizon. Deleuze draws from texts by Georges Dumézil and Ernst Jünger to discuss distinctions of poles of violence within the two formations, notably different sorts of mutilation. Deleuze then develops the importance of matter-movement, or a phylum traversing both the State apparatus and the war machine and which, in contrast to both of these formations, is fundamentally itinerant (cf. session ATP IV.1). Deleuze considers how the State apparatus has appropriated the war machine in history through the <em>mercenary </em>pole and the <em>army </em>pole, hence, encasting or appropriating. To the fundamental question, how capitalism managed to be developed through the State pole, Deleuze answers that triumph came via the “town” pole, i.e., through the State’s constituent parts. Moreover, Deleuze wonders about the role of money’s development in the constitution of the State, speculating on the importance of taxation and also the role played by rents. Deleuze concludes the session by emphasizing the importance of political economy for the seminar’s work, and he asks if anyone might assist in discussing (and explaining) axiomatics.</p>

<p>This dataset includes four files: an aggregate version of the audio recordings into a single mp3, the complete French transcription and English translation of the recorded lecture in odt format, and the original Web Deleuze French transcription. [WebDeleuze was founded by Richard Pinhas -- a student in Deleuze's seminars -- who, with the Deleuze family's support, developed transcripts and translations of many of the seminars.]</p>

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<p><em>Les Séminaires de Deleuze</em> sont une collection d'enregistrements audio, de transcriptions et de traductions en anglais et de documents complémentaires des conférences que le philosophe français Gilles Deleuze a donné lors de sa carrière à l'Université de Paris 8.</p>

<p>A la suite de la publication de <em>L’Anti-Œdipe</em> en 1972, Deleuze continue de développer la prolifération de concepts que sa collaboration avec Guattari avait fait naître. Dans le cadre de ce processus d’élargissement des concepts en vue de produire la suite de <em>Capitalisme et schizophrénie</em>, <em>Mille plateaux</em>, ce séminaire de 13 séance sur « L’appareil d’État et les machines de guerre » constitue le séminaire majeur de 1979-80 et l’avant-dernière réflexion de Deleuze sur ces concepts. La dernière réflexion aura lieu en mai-juin 1980, un mini-séminaire de deux séances sur « L’Anti-Œdipe et d’autres réflexions ».</p>

<p>En reliant ce séminaire aux précédents, Deleuze passe en revue les travaux antérieurs, puis esquisse un ensemble de six oppositions : l’opposition fondamentale et abstraite de la machine de guerre contre l’appareil d’État, ou encore « l’appareil de capture », assimilant la machine de guerre à l’organisation nomade comme une riposte contre l’appareil d’État ; ensuite, la perspective de la composition ; troisièmement, une perspective d’activité ; quatrièmement, le point de vue de l’expression ; cinquièmement, Deleuze soulève le point de vue du sentiment ; sixièmement, le point de vue de la violence, Deleuze insistant sur le fait qu’à cet égard, la violence de l’appareil d’État est « déjà là » et présente, la violence de la machine de guerre toujours à l’horizon. Deleuze conclut la séance en soulignant l’importance de l’économie politique pour les travaux du séminaire, et il demande si quelqu’un pourrait aider à discuter (et expliquer) les axiomatiques.</p>