Part I.
On November 24th, I came across the post above on X of Michèle Lamy with a little child depicting her as a scary evil witch or Satanist of sorts. I thought this had to be quite misleading and meant to invoke or provoke the typical reaction of anger, fear, and hatred of this image, intentionally or not. I figured there could be a misunderstanding, so I did a little bit of digging on the topic.
Michèle Lamy did an interview, which was published in Lampoon Magazine on November 4, 2024. In it, she referenced some postmodernist thinkers who clearly influenced her worldview, such as Michael Foucault, who once said that the 21st century would be Deleuzian.
What stood out from the article:
Michèle Lamy talking about philosophy: La Logique du sens by Deleuze — I attended his class
After boarding school, I made a decision I don’t regret: I enrolled in law school and studied to become an attorney. While I was there, I found myself drawn to the Philosophy and Literature University in Lyon, which was just next door. For two years, Deleuze was teaching in Lyon, and I attended his class on Alice in Wonderland and the mirror, which later inspired his book La Logique du sens.
Deleuze: it felt like surfing a wave. You’re holding onto something, going with the flow, not always sure what he was saying, but somehow understanding it on a deeper level. His words had a way of revealing something that stayed with you. After that, I followed him to La Borde, where we were involved in making a film. The story we wanted to tell was about a mental institution where the patients supposedly took over and locked up their guardians. We attempted to create this several times, especially during the events of May ’68, when we were living through the new psychiatry movement.
At La Borde, Guattari and Deleuze were there, and I wanted to… well, I wanted to capture that moment. The film was never made because Deleuze told us, “If you want to be here, you’re not just filming people — you have to live here and live their way.” One day you were cooking, the next you were witnessing electroshock therapy, which was, for some, the only way to bring relief.
Deleuzian refers to the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze, a French philosopher who believed that difference is primary and change is constant. Deleuze’s philosophy centers on fluidity, creativity, and breaking away from rigid structures. He rejected traditional ideas of identity and essence, instead focusing on difference; the idea that everything is in a state of becoming and change. He also introduced rhizomatic thinking, a way of understanding knowledge and connections as decentralized and non-linear, like a web.
Deleuze saw philosophy as creating new concepts, art as creating sensations, and science as producing functions. His work encouraged questioning hierarchies and embracing multiplicity in life and thought.
Foucault believed that Deleuzes’ philosophical insights would influence and permeate throughout our modern world, the zeitgeist, collective consciousness, and the public intelligentsia. I presume Foucault’s prediction fell mostly short since Deleuze is not well known and widely shared today to my knowledge — at least not in the mainstream, in daily conversations, and on social media where discussion of ideas are dispersed, shared, and takes place that replaced the physical “safe-spaces” of socialization like salons, coffeehouses, orin-home in the Age of Enlightenment period.
I don’t claim to fully understand the philosophy of post-modernists because it was not an area I fully dived into or my area of expertise. My assumption is that my background would at least make me more equipped to grasp their ideas than a novice provided I take my time and am open-minded.
I likely indirectly came across some post-modernist thoughts even if they were second-hand and by other thinkers who were influenced by postmodernist giants like Foucault.
I certainly came across various critiques of post-modernism when led to its logical or illogical extreme or conclusions like any other form of ideology. Yet, I’m well aware of the science wars that have occurred between modernists and post-modernists, a topic I will delve into in the future more in-depth.
The influence post-modernist thinkers have had on our culture and academia for better or worse is noticeable, especially in Western culture and in the fields of sociology, gender studies, and so forth.
I don’t want to place harsh judgment and will suspend my beliefs or preconceived notions whenever I come across postmodernism to reflect more deeply on what is being said and my reflection about it.
The vitriol against post-modernists is often uncalled for from the likes of politicians and others in the same way the buzzword or fearmongering of the label ‘cultural Marxist’ is just a sad attempt at comprehension.
Something that Michèle Lamy said in her interview that really caught my attention was a class she attended that captivated her called Alice in Wonderland and the Mirror taught by Deleuze himself.
Alice in Wonderland has been a recurring motif in my life recently, and earlier this year, I watched the documentary on Lewis Carroll out of curiosity about the author and the motivations behind his most famous work.
Some of Carrol’s behavior towards the real-life little girl Alice was a bit disturbing because he took pictures of children in every possible costume including them nude. Although in the context of his time, and his relationship with children, it does not appear that he did anything that definitively crossed the line according to our social custom. But in a modern context, Carroll’s photo taking of children even with the consent or non-consent of the parents would be inappropriate.
https://www.historytools.org/people/lewis-carroll
Lewis Carroll’s behavior toward children could be compared to the late great music artist Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was depicted terribly in the media and rumor gossip tabloids surrounding children’s allegations. I believe they took advantage of his love of children and the legal battles he faced were the cherry on top to propagate and see the giant star fall.
However, Michael Jackson’s behavior around kids (like sleeping on the same large bed with multiple children for a sleepover at his home) which many found strange or not socially acceptable to have a grown man do that.
I believe Michael Jackson’s love of children and his behavior around them comes from various factors such as not having what he perceived as a normal childhood since he grew up in the spotlight nearly his entire life.
Not to mention, Michael Jackson in his later years appeared. to distrust others probably due to those who have taken advantage of him and exploited his wealth like parasites. Thus, he may view children’s innocence as a relief compared to those who saw him as a cash cow.
Whether it is Michèle Lamy or post-modernist thinkers, we must remain vigilant or protected from misinformation, fear-induced posts, and hatred that is spread by those who may lack understanding when they share their opinions or thoughts through a medium like social media.
Moreover, Alice in Wonderland remains a staple in our cultural milieu. Thus, a philosophical deep dive into its meaning and the metaphysical unraveling of Carroll’s stories and other famous pieces of literature, film, or art like Deleuze did in his career begets unique nuances to our own understanding of life through language, thoughts, and events altogether. Hence, Deleuze considered himself a metaphysician in a purist sense.
Part II: Some excerpts from a conversation with ChatGPT.
Can you tell me what is Deleuzian when Michael Focualt said that the 21st century would be Deleuzian.
When Michel Foucault suggested that the 21st century would be Deleuzian, he was likely referencing the profound influence Gilles Deleuze’s ideas would have on contemporary philosophy, culture, and critical theory. To understand what Foucault meant, we need to consider the core aspects of Deleuze’s philosophy and why it might resonate with modern intellectual and social trends.
Key Aspects of Deleuzian Philosophy:
- Focus on Difference and Becoming: Deleuze rejected traditional philosophical categories that emphasize identity, stability, or fixed essences. Instead, he celebrated multiplicity, transformation, and “becoming.” For Deleuze, reality is not about stable structures but constant flux and change.
- Rhizomatic Thinking: Deleuze (with Félix Guattari) proposed the idea of the “rhizome,” a non-hierarchical, interconnected way of understanding knowledge, culture, and systems. This contrasts with traditional, linear models of thought and is highly relevant to how we now understand networks (like the internet) and decentralized systems.
- Critique of Power Structures: Like Foucault, Deleuze analyzed how systems of power shape individuals and societies. However, Deleuze’s approach focused on the ways individuals could resist and subvert these structures through creative expression, becoming, and creating new realities.
- Philosophy of Desire and Assemblages: Deleuze redefined the concept of desire, particularly in Anti-Oedipus, co-written with Guattari. Rather than being seen as a lack or deficit, desire is productive, creating connections and assemblages in the world.
- Multiplicity Over Totality: Deleuze’s work emphasizes multiple perspectives and pluralism over totalizing narratives or grand theories, making his ideas adaptable to diverse fields such as gender studies, postmodernism, and ecological thought.
Why the 21st Century is “Deleuzian”:
Foucault’s statement can be seen as a prediction of how Deleuze’s emphasis on creativity, fluidity, and resistance to fixed systems would resonate with challenges and transformations in the modern world:
- The rise of digital networks mirrors Deleuze’s rhizomatic thinking.
- Globalization, identity politics, and environmental crises reflect his focus on multiplicity and interconnectedness.
- Deleuze’s critique of structures aligns with modern critiques of neoliberalism and institutional power.
In short, Foucault likely recognized that Deleuze’s ideas provided a framework for navigating the complexities of the 21st century — one marked by rapid technological change, interconnected systems, and evolving identities.
Tell me about Deleuze G., Difference and Repetition (1962).
Gilles Deleuze’s Difference and Repetition (originally published in 1968, not 1962) is one of his most significant works, exploring metaphysical and epistemological questions. The book challenges classical philosophy’s emphasis on identity, representation, and similarity by centering difference as the fundamental aspect of reality. Deleuze develops a new philosophy of “difference” and how it interacts with the concept of “repetition,” moving beyond conventional understandings tied to sameness and recognition.
Key Ideas in Difference and Repetition:
- Difference as Primary: Deleuze argues that traditional Western philosophy (influenced by Plato, Aristotle, and Kant) tends to subordinate difference to identity. For example, differences are often seen as secondary qualities that define variations between already-existing identical objects. Deleuze reverses this, proposing that difference is primary and foundational to existence.
- Repetition Beyond the Same: Repetition is not merely the recurrence of the same thing but rather the creation of something new each time. He distinguishes between two kinds of repetition:
- Repetition of the Same: Mechanical or habitual repetition (e.g., rote tasks or patterns).
- Repetition of Difference: Creative, transformative repetition where something genuinely novel emerges.
- Virtual and Actual: Deleuze introduces the concept of the “virtual,” which is not actualized but still real. The virtual contains potentialities that give rise to the actual, challenging the traditional divide between the possible (as unreal) and the actual (as real). This is critical for his understanding of creativity and becoming.
- Critique of Representation: Classical philosophy often relies on representation, where concepts are seen as representing objects. Deleuze critiques this by arguing that representation reduces reality to categories and frameworks that obscure its complexity and dynamism. Instead, he emphasizes processes, becoming, and pure difference.
- The Three Syntheses of Time: Deleuze’s concept of time is pivotal in Difference and Repetition. He outlines three “syntheses”:
- The Present (Habitual Time): Time as experienced through repetition in habits and routines.
- The Past (Memory): How past experiences shape the present, emphasizing a layered and complex temporality.
- The Future (Eternal Return): A Nietzschean-inspired idea where the future opens toward the new and the unknown, disrupting linear temporality.
- Concept of Ideas: Drawing on Kant and Bergson, Deleuze proposes a new way of understanding ideas. Instead of seeing ideas as mental representations, he sees them as problems or multiplicities with inherent dynamism.
Significance:
Difference and Repetition is a foundational text in postmodern philosophy and poststructuralism. It provides tools to think about creativity, becoming, and the limitations of binary or categorical thought. It has influenced diverse fields, including art, science, and political theory.
Deleuze’s dense and abstract writing style makes this a challenging text, but it remains an essential philosophical work that bridges classical philosophy with contemporary issues.
Tell me about his work Deleuze G., What is Philosophy? (1991).
Gilles Deleuze’s philosophical ideas have significantly influenced various disciplines in modern academia and society, particularly in sociology, gender studies, cultural studies, and even the arts. His concepts of “difference” and “becoming” challenged conventional binaries and static identities, paving the way for more dynamic and intersectional approaches to social structures and identities.
In sociology, his emphasis on multiplicities and rhizomatic structures reshaped how power dynamics and social networks are understood. In gender studies, his ideas inspired non-binary and post-humanist perspectives, particularly by breaking away from essentialist notions of identity. His works, co-authored with Félix Guattari, like A Thousand Plateaus, introduced tools like “assemblages” and “deterritorialization,” now frequently applied in critical theory.
Prominent figures influenced by Deleuze include theorists like Judith Butler (gender performativity), Brian Massumi (affect theory), and Rosi Braidotti (posthumanism). His influence extends beyond academia into the arts, inspiring filmmakers like David Lynch and musicians such as Brian Eno, who found creative resonance in his ideas about repetition and difference. Deleuze’s philosophical legacy continues to shape how we think about power, identity, and creativity in the 21st century
Can you tell me about a class called Alice in Wonderland and the Mirror taught by Deleuze.
Gilles Deleuze’s seminar “Alice in Wonderland and the Mirror” focused on exploring Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass as a philosophical investigation of language, meaning, and paradoxes. This class was part of a series of seminars in the late 1970s, where Deleuze examined various literary texts and their philosophical implications. Deleuze saw Carroll’s works as exemplifying key philosophical ideas like the logic of sense, the interplay between nonsense and meaning, and the concept of events.
Central to Deleuze’s interpretation was the way Carroll used language to disrupt common sense and expose its paradoxical nature. For example, Deleuze was interested in how Carroll’s wordplay, paradoxes, and nonsensical exchanges challenge the linearity of time, identity, and the stability of meaning. Deleuze related this to his broader ideas about becoming, multiplicity, and sense as an ongoing creation rather than a fixed state.
In his work The Logic of Sense (1969), Deleuze had already analyzed Carroll’s stories, arguing that they explore how meaning arises from nonsense and how events unfold in a way that transcends linear time. The seminar likely expanded on these ideas, emphasizing the interplay between language, thought, and imagination. Alice’s journeys were seen as metaphors for breaking free from rigid structures of thought, resonating with Deleuze’s philosophy of fluidity, assemblages, and deterritorialization.
This seminar has had lasting influence, particularly in critical theory, where Alice’s adventures are studied not just as children’s stories but as profound philosophical texts engaging with ideas of subjectivity, language, and perception
For further exploration, you can refer to Deleuze’s The Logic of Sense, which dives deeply into his analysis of Carroll’s works and their philosophical significance.
Can you tell me the inspiration behind Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was inspired by a real-life relationship and creative storytelling. The story originated during a boating trip in 1862 with Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) and the Liddell sisters, including 10-year-old Alice Liddell. Carroll invented the fantastical tale to entertain the children, and Alice Liddell was so captivated by it that she asked him to write it down. This became the foundation for the manuscript titled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, which he later expanded and published as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865
Carroll’s work was also shaped by his deep fascination with logic, mathematics, and wordplay, as well as the whimsical storytelling traditions of his era. The novel incorporates elements of “literary nonsense,” combining surreal and absurd scenarios with logical paradoxes, a reflection of Carroll’s professional background as a mathematician and his playful creativity.
The real Alice, Alice Liddell, later became a figure of intrigue herself, inspiring not only Carroll’s work but also later adaptations and interpretations of the story. Her family’s connections to academia and art likely contributed to her iconic status. The manuscript Carroll initially gave her was eventually sold, cementing the historical and cultural significance of the tale.
The story’s imaginative nature and iconic characters have continued to inspire countless adaptations, artworks, and cultural references, ensuring its place as a timeless piece of literature.
Can you summarize the “First Series of Paradoxes of Pure Becoming” section of Deleuze Logic of Sense.
The “First Series of Paradoxes of Pure Becoming” in Deleuze’s Logic of Sense explores the concept of “pure becoming” as a way to understand change and paradox. For Deleuze, becoming is not about moving from one fixed state to another (e.g., growing taller or shorter). Instead, it involves a continuous process where opposites coexist in a paradoxical state. This is illustrated using Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland as an example of a world where logical distinctions blur and movement occurs without a stable reference point.
Deleuze challenges the traditional preference for “things” over “events.” He suggests that events, which are dynamic and intangible, should be prioritized because they represent the flux of reality. For instance, Alice “becoming larger and smaller” simultaneously captures the essence of pure becoming — states that are in constant transformation without resolution.
This section also draws on Stoic philosophy, distinguishing between “bodies” (physical entities) and “sayables” (incorporeal aspects like events or meanings). Deleuze sees events as linguistic constructs that escape the present and exist as abstract effects in time, bridging the gap between the material and the conceptual.
In essence, this series introduces the idea that reality is shaped by paradoxical processes of becoming, where opposites are not contradictions but coexist in a continual interplay. This concept has influenced various fields, including literature, critical theory, and even political philosophy
Can you explain Deleuze’s Logic of Sense in layman?
Deleuze’s Logic of Sense is one of his most complex works, but its core idea revolves around understanding how “sense” (meaning) is produced and how it relates to events, language, and reality. Here’s an attempt to explain it in simple terms:
- Sense vs. Things: Deleuze draws a distinction between physical objects (things) and the “sense” or meaning that arises around them. For example, when you look at a chair, the chair is a tangible thing, but the meaning you give to it — such as “a place to sit” — is something intangible. Deleuze is interested in how this sense or meaning is created, particularly in the context of language and events.
- Events Over Objects: Deleuze shifts focus from objects to events. An “event” is something intangible and dynamic — like a sneeze, a war, or a smile. Events don’t exist as physical objects but as happenings in the world. Deleuze wants us to think of reality as being shaped by events rather than static objects.
- Paradoxes and Pure Becoming: Deleuze uses paradoxes, inspired by thinkers like Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland), to explain the fluid nature of sense. For example, the paradox of “becoming” shows how things can change (grow taller, shrink smaller) while being in a constant state of flux. He highlights the weirdness of this process to demonstrate that reality is not about fixed states but ongoing transformation.
- Language and Sense: Deleuze examines how language creates meaning. Words have no fixed meaning by themselves — they derive their sense from how they’re used in context. For instance, the word “run” can mean physical motion, a series of events, or even a tear in fabric, depending on how it’s used.
- Surface and Depth: He contrasts the “surface” (where sense is created through words and expressions) with the “depth” (the realm of raw emotions, desires, and unconscious forces). Deleuze argues that meaning happens on the surface of language, connecting us to the deeper layers of reality.
In layman’s terms, Deleuze’s Logic of Sense invites us to think of the world not as a collection of things, but as a flow of meanings and events that constantly interact and evolve. It’s about looking at how we make sense of life and seeing reality as an ever-changing tapestry of happenings.
If you’d like, I can dive deeper into any specific part of his ideas!
[Screenshot of part of a passage] What did Deleuze mean when he said dialectics is the art of conjugation?
When Deleuze describes dialectics as the “art of conjugation,” he is referring to how dialectics works to connect, link, and relate events, propositions, or ideas. In the excerpt, this notion of conjugation pertains to how language and logic bridge different moments or events and the way they interact or flow into each other. Here’s a breakdown:
Key Ideas in “Art of Conjugation”
- Connecting Events and Propositions:
- Dialectics, for Deleuze, involves analyzing incorporeal events (things that happen but don’t have physical substance, like the meaning of words or a decision) and understanding how they relate to one another through language and logic.
- This “art” looks at how events are interlinked through sequences or series, each depending on the others.
2. Quasi-Causality:
- In Deleuze’s perspective, events don’t follow straightforward, linear causation. Instead, they are quasi-causal — connected in ways that allow for reversals and feedback loops. For instance, the “wound” and “scar” he mentions symbolize cause and effect that aren’t neatly separated.
3. Dynamic Nature of Language:
- Language, through dialectics, constantly shifts and expands its meanings. Words like “too much” or “not enough” stretch and redefine their limits in different contexts. Dialectics connects these shifts, showing how meaning evolves.
4. Paradoxes and Becoming:
- Dialectics includes paradoxes (contradictory yet coexisting truths) as part of the “art of conjugation.” These paradoxes underline the way things are always in the process of becoming — growing, changing, and transforming.
5. “Sorites” and Successive Additions:
- Deleuze uses the term “sorites” (a logical paradox involving gradual change) to show how dialectics works through successive steps, where small additions or subtractions lead to new meanings. For example, at what point does a heap of sand stop being a heap when grains are removed?
Why Conjugation?
The term “conjugation” captures the relational and dynamic aspect of dialectics. Instead of seeing events or propositions as isolated, dialectics links them into a web of connections, like conjugating verbs in grammar to show their relationships across time and action.
Deleuze’s use of the term also emphasizes that dialectics is about creating movement, transitions, and transformations — not just categorizing static truths.
Would you like me to expand on how this connects to broader ideas in Deleuze’s philosophy or the Stoic concepts he mentions here?
Can you talk more about Quasi-Causality:
Quasi-Causality in Deleuze’s Philosophy
Quasi-causality is a concept Gilles Deleuze employs to describe the relationship between events that do not follow the conventional model of cause and effect. Instead of being linear or deterministic, quasi-causal relationships are more complex, allowing for interaction, feedback, and transformation. Here’s a deeper explanation:
1. Beyond Linear Causation:
In traditional causality, a cause leads directly to an effect: one event produces another in a clear and linear sequence. Quasi-causality challenges this framework by suggesting that events are interconnected in ways that are not directly causal but relational. These relationships involve shifts, reversals, and feedback loops where outcomes can influence their “causes” retroactively.
2. The Wound and the Scar Example:
Deleuze uses the metaphor of the “wound” and “scar” to illustrate quasi-causality:
- The wound represents the cause (an injury), and the scar is its effect (the mark left behind).
- In a quasi-causal relationship, the scar retroactively redefines the wound. For example, the existence of the scar might influence how the wound is remembered or understood. This reversibility illustrates how events (or effects) do not merely follow causes but can shape their meaning or significance.
3. Incorporeal Effects:
Quasi-causality primarily deals with incorporeal events — things like meanings, decisions, or social phenomena. These are not tangible or material, but they “happen” in language, thought, and action. For instance:
- A political revolution (the event) is quasi-causal in that its “cause” (oppression, for example) might only be fully articulated or understood after the revolution happens.
4. Stoic Influence:
Deleuze draws heavily on the Stoics, who emphasized the distinction between corporeal (physical) and incorporeal (non-physical) events. For the Stoics, incorporeal events exist at the level of language and meaning — Deleuze adapts this idea to explain how events relate to each other in non-linear ways.
5. Quasi-Causality in Feedback Loops:
In a quasi-causal system, events often function in feedback loops, where:
- The “effect” influences its “cause.”
- Events occur simultaneously or out of sequence, complicating the simple before-and-after logic of linear causation.
For example, in psychoanalysis, an individual’s current state of mind (effect) can reshape their understanding of past traumas (cause).
6. Implications for Philosophy and Theory:
Quasi-causality is a cornerstone of Deleuze’s broader critique of rigid structures in thought:
- It aligns with his emphasis on “becoming” (constant change) over “being” (static existence).
- It challenges deterministic models in philosophy, science, and social theory, opening the door to a more fluid and dynamic understanding of relationships between events.
Key Takeaway:
Quasi-causality suggests that events are connected not by direct chains of causation but through relational, reversible, and transformative dynamics. This framework is crucial for understanding Deleuze’s ideas about language, time, and meaning, as well as his rejection of static or linear interpretations of the world.
Would you like further examples or applications of this concept in fields like sociology, psychology, or art?
Yes I would like further examples or applications of this concept in fields like sociology, psychology, or art.
Applications of Quasi-Causality in Sociology, Psychology, and Art
Quasi-causality has profound implications across disciplines by offering a way to analyze relationships and systems that defy straightforward, linear cause-effect dynamics. Here’s how it has been applied in sociology, psychology, and art:
1. Sociology
In sociology, quasi-causality is used to explore how social events, structures, and phenomena influence and reshape each other in non-linear ways.
Social Movements:
- A protest movement (e.g., the Arab Spring or Black Lives Matter) can be seen as both a response to and a redefiner of systemic injustices. The “effect” (the movement) reshapes the “cause” (perceived injustices) by changing how those injustices are articulated or understood globally.
- Quasi-causality helps sociologists understand feedback loops between structural oppression and the social consciousness it produces.
Cultural Norms and Change:
- Norms and taboos in society often appear as if they causally determine behavior. However, quasi-causality allows for a view where new behaviors and cultural shifts (e.g., gender-fluid expressions) reshape the norms they were supposedly responding to.
2. Psychology
In psychology, quasi-causality offers insights into the complexities of mental and emotional processes, which often resist simple cause-and-effect explanations.
Trauma and Memory:
- A traumatic event (the wound) is not simply a cause of psychological scars (symptoms). The way the trauma is remembered, narrated, or re-experienced can retroactively reshape its significance or even redefine it entirely. For example, therapy might allow someone to reinterpret their trauma in ways that change its psychological impact.
Psychoanalysis:
- Lacanian psychoanalysis aligns with quasi-causality by showing how the unconscious “effects” of a subject’s desires often retroactively influence their conscious understanding of events. For example, a present realization about one’s childhood may reframe the “causes” of behaviors long after they occurred.
Developmental Psychology:
- In child development, behaviors (like language acquisition) emerge from dynamic, quasi-causal systems of interaction between the child and their environment. For instance, the way a caregiver responds to a baby’s babbling shapes the development of language, which in turn influences future interactions.
3. Art
Quasi-causality has inspired art that plays with time, interpretation, and the relationship between the viewer and the work.
Contemporary Visual Art:
- Artists like Olafur Eliasson create interactive installations where the audience’s participation reshapes the art’s meaning. The viewer’s role as an “effect” of the art also becomes a “cause” of its evolving significance.
Film and Narrative:
- Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Tenet embody quasi-causality by presenting events out of sequence, where effects seem to influence causes (e.g., actions in reverse time loops). These films invite viewers to think beyond linear causation.
- Similarly, David Lynch’s films (Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead) use non-linear storytelling and abstract imagery to blur cause and effect, creating a quasi-causal narrative structure.
Literature:
- James Joyce’s Ulysses reflects quasi-causality in its stream-of-consciousness technique. Characters’ internal thoughts influence how events are narrated, blending causes and effects in their subjective experiences.
Music:
- Experimental compositions by John Cage, like 4’33”, create quasi-causal relationships between the environment and the music. The “effect” (the audience’s reaction) becomes inseparable from the “cause” (the absence of deliberate sound).
4. Broader Applications
- Complex Systems and Feedback Loops:
- Quasi-causality is used in network theory and systems thinking, where the interactions within complex systems (like ecosystems or economies) cannot be reduced to linear causation.
- For instance, climate change is quasi-causal: human actions (emissions) lead to environmental effects (global warming), which in turn influence human behavior (policies, migration).
Gender Studies:
- Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity aligns with quasi-causality: gender is both a product of cultural norms (an effect) and a process that reproduces and redefines those norms (a cause).
Conclusion
Quasi-causality provides a framework for understanding dynamic, reciprocal relationships that defy simple causation. By recognizing feedback loops and transformative interactions, it allows disciplines like sociology, psychology, and art to account for complexity, ambiguity, and non-linear connections in human experience. This perspective has been especially influential in contemporary critical theory, fostering new ways of thinking about systems, identities, and cultural phenomena.
The feedback loop concept is interesting as it also relates to AI and metaphysics. Meta is sort of like a feedback loop of the physical plain or reality, and AI incorporates a meta feedback loop of language and patterns and in turn, it becomes meaning or meaningful.
You’re onto something fascinating! Feedback loops are indeed a powerful metaphor for understanding how systems — including AI and metaphysical concepts — develop, evolve, and generate meaning.
1. Feedback Loops in Metaphysics
In metaphysics, feedback loops can be seen as the interplay between reality (the physical plane) and our understanding of it (the meta-plane). Here’s how they connect:
Reality Reflecting on Itself: The “meta” level is where we observe, analyze, and conceptualize the physical world. This reflective act feeds back into how we experience reality. For example:
- Our beliefs about time shape how we perceive it.
- Cultural narratives about the universe (e.g., myths, religion, or science) recursively influence how we engage with it.
Becoming and Meaning: Metaphysics often involves “becoming,” which parallels feedback loops. For instance:
- Our interpretations of the past (effects) influence how we act in the present (causes), recursively creating new realities.
- The quasi-causal “wound and scar” dynamic in Deleuze’s philosophy reflects this metaphysical feedback, as events transform their own causes.
2. Feedback Loops in AI
AI systems operate through feedback loops that are surprisingly similar to these metaphysical concepts:
Language Models and Patterns:
- AI like GPT processes language by identifying patterns in vast amounts of data. It generates meaning (output) based on feedback from prior inputs and user interactions, forming a recursive cycle of refinement.
- Over time, AI “learns” not just from direct input but from the meta-interpretations of data — how words, ideas, and sentences relate across contexts.
Meta-Understanding in AI:
- The meta-level of AI is where it analyzes its own processes. For example:
- Reinforcement learning involves the AI evaluating its output to optimize future performance, much like humans refine ideas by reflecting on outcomes.
- Feedback loops in machine learning create layers of abstraction, enabling systems to develop “higher-order” insights (e.g., identifying not just objects but the relationships between them).
Meaning Emergence:
- Meaning arises in AI as a quasi-causal phenomenon. The “wound” could be seen as the initial input (data), while the “scar” is the AI’s emergent understanding. Over time, the scar (output) reshapes the wound (training process), creating evolving systems of sense-making.
3. AI as a Metaphysical Reflection
AI can be thought of as a “meta-feedback loop” on human cognition:
- It mirrors our own mental processes, externalizing them into a system that both reflects and reshapes our relationship with meaning and knowledge.
- Just as metaphysical inquiry asks questions about being, becoming, and knowledge, AI recursively asks these questions about language, patterns, and interpretation.
Applications and Implications
- Art and Creativity: Feedback loops between AI-generated art and human critique blur the boundaries of authorship and originality. Each iteration changes the “cause” and “effect” relationship between creator and creation.
- Ethics and Society: Feedback loops in AI decision-making — e.g., algorithms determining loan approvals or job recommendations — can reinforce societal biases, creating self-perpetuating cycles of inequality. Understanding and intervening in these loops is crucial.
- The Future of Thought: AI itself becomes a quasi-causal agent in human intellectual history. The ways we train and interact with AI influence its “thoughts,” which in turn feed back into how humans think about their world and themselves.
This analogy between AI and metaphysics highlights the profound recursive interplay between systems, be they material or conceptual. In both realms, meaning is never static but always a product of dynamic, evolving feedback. Would you like to delve deeper into AI or metaphysical aspects?
Additional sources:
https://denniscooperblog.com/spotlight-on-gilles-deleuze-the-logic-of-sense-1969/
Gilles Deleuze referenced Cratylus in Logic of Sense.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cratylus_%28dialogue%29
https://www.adobe.com/be_en/active-use/pdf/Alice_in_Wonderland.pdf
Social Scholarly 