Chaos with Deleuze, Gilles and Felix Guattari

Chaos

Chaosmos with Prigogyne, Ilya and Isabelle Stengers

1. Deleuze and Guattari on Chaos (What is Philosophy? - “From Chaos to Brain”):

• Chaos is not simply disorganization but an infinite field of possibilities and virtualities.

• It is a space of pure potential, unstructured and unordered, from which forms and structures can emerge.

• The “brain” (or thought) interacts with chaos to create “planes of immanence,” where ideas, concepts, and systems are generated.

• Chaos does not mean the absence of logic; rather, it reflects the coexistence of multiple logics that are not yet differentiated or stabilized. ’ ’ 2. Chaos in the Deleuze and Guattari Dictionary (“Chaos,” “Chaosmosis,” and “Chaosophy”):

• Chaosmosis: A term coined by Guattari to describe the dynamic process by which order arises from chaos through creative and experimental practices.

• Chaosophy: The philosophy of engaging with chaos as a productive force, emphasizing multiplicity and the breakdown of hierarchical systems. It invites us to think beyond binaries and fixed categories.

• Chaos is never entirely overcome; instead, it coexists with order as a necessary part of becoming and transformation.

3. Glissant on Chaos (Poetics of Relation - “Generalization”):

Proposition and Relation by Glissant, Eduardo. Poetics of Relation • For Glissant, chaos is a source of cultural and historical diversity. It challenges totalizing narratives and universal generalizations.

• He views chaos as a space of Relation, where multiplicity and difference coexist without being reduced to sameness.

• Chaos allows for opacity—the right of cultures and identities to remain complex and irreducible.

The Rhizome

The concept of the rhizome, developed by Deleuze and Guattari in A Thousand Plateaus, contrasts with hierarchical and tree-like structures of thought and organization.

• A rhizome is a non-linear, networked structure with no fixed center or hierarchy.

• It is a model of connectivity and multiplicity, where every point can connect to any other.

• Rhizomes grow unpredictably, forming diverse connections without predefined paths.

• Multiplicity: The rhizome is composed of many heterogeneous elements, none of which dominate.

• Connection and Heterogeneity: Any point of a rhizome can link to any other point, reflecting diversity and openness.

• Asignifying Rupture: If broken, the rhizome can regenerate and continue to grow elsewhere, emphasizing resilience and adaptability.

• Cartography and Decalcomania: The rhizome is like a map that evolves as connections form, as opposed to a fixed blueprint.

Integration of Chaos and Rhizome

• Chaos as Ground of Creativity: Chaos provides the infinite potential from which rhizomatic structures arise.

• Rhizome as a Response to Chaos: Rhizomes organize this potential into flexible, adaptive networks that resist totalizing systems and fixed meanings.

• Philosophical Implications: Together, chaos and the rhizome challenge traditional models of thought, identity, and culture, promoting multiplicity, openness, and interconnection.