Defense Date
8-7-2024
Graduation Date
Fall 12-20-2024
Availability
Immediate Access
Submission Type
dissertation
Degree Name
PhD
Department
Philosophy
School
McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
Committee Chair
Jay Lampert
Committee Member
Daniel Selcer
Committee Member
Leonard Lawlor
Keywords
Deleuze, freedom, temporality, ethics, death drive, affects, repetition
Abstract
In this dissertation, I examine Gilles Deleuze’s philosophy of time as presented in Difference and Repetition and use it to construct a concept of freedom, which is notably absent in his work. I argue that Deleuze’s exposition of the three syntheses of time provides significant insights for exploring the ontological possibility and structure of freedom. Through an analysis of his theory of the three syntheses of time, I investigate the meanings of agency, destiny, and choice within Deleuze's framework. I demonstrate that free choice necessitates both involuntary and creative action. Given the apparent tension between freedom and involuntariness, I explore the conditions under which an involuntary action can be considered free. To address this question, I ask what we desire when we desire freedom. Since freedom can be desired in multiple ways, and since these ways must be identified through the structure of desire, I turn to Deleuze’s reinterpretation of the three syntheses of time as three syntheses of desire. Building on this foundation, I develop three distinct desires for freedom: the desire to overcome obstacles, the desire to overcome alienation, and the desire for problems. I elaborate on the desire for problems as a drive to engage with divergent affects and ideas that emerge from disruptive events and challenge our existing conception of life. I argue that this desire enables us to endure ambiguity and uprootedness, thereby providing a more effective response to the other two desires.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Sak, M. (2024). “REPEAT A LITTLE:” TIME AND FREEDOM IN DELEUZE’S DIFFERENCE AND REPETITION (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/2284