A Thousand Plateaus V, The State Apparatus and the War Machine, Lecture 11, 11 March 1980

<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 11, 11 March 1980, After previous discussion of the axiomatic, Deleuze considers several problems linked to the axiomatic, asking first what ways the axiomatic criteria are allowing us to orient ourselves within contemporary political situations (cf. <em>A Thousand Plateaus,</em> plateau 13, pp. 460-473), and the four problems detailed constitute four axiomatic criteria to be examined (only the first two considered in this session). First is the problem of addition or withdrawal of the axiomatic; second, the problem of saturation of the axiomatic, hence the question of limits, in relation to which Deleuze refers to Marx’s <em>Capital</em>; third, nation-States as possible models of the axiomatic of capital; fourth, a problem to be explained subsequently. This session is interrupted abruptly by noise from outside, seemingly a demonstration occurring that draws the group's attention, at which point Deleuze feels compelled to end the session.</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>

<p>--</p>

<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>Deleuze ouvre donc cette séance en se demandant quels sont les critères axiomatiques qui nous permettent de nous orienter dans les situations politiques contemporaines. Les quatre problèmes deviennent désormais quatre grands critères axiomatiques que Deleuze entreprend d’examiner. Notons que cette séance est interrompue brusquement par des bruits extérieurs, apparemment une manifestation qui attire l’attention du groupe et qui oblige Deleuze à mettre fin à la séance.</p>