This article is missing information about the actual definition of Deleuze and Guattari's concept. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(September 2022)
Minority (French: minorité) is a philosophical concept developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari in their books Kafka: Towards a Minor Literature (1975), A Thousand Plateaus (1980), and elsewhere. In these texts, they criticize the concept of "majority". For Deleuze and Guattari, "becoming-minor(itarian)" is primarily an ethical action, one of the becomings one is affected by when avoiding "becoming-fascist". They argued further that the concept of a "people", when invoked by subordinate groups or those aligned with them, always refers to a minority, whatever its numerical power might be.[1]
For Deleuze and Guattari the "minor" and "becoming-minority" does not refer to minority groups as described in ordinary language. Minority groups are defined by identities and are thus molar configurations belonging to the majoritarian State machine. (Molar configurations are composed of infinite lines of particles, i.e. lines of becoming.)[2] Deleuze and Guattari's central example here is Franz Kafka. Kafka finds himself at home among neither the Prague Jews nor the dominant German and Austria-Hungarian power structure. For him a "people is missing" and his literature sets out to summon that people. Nonetheless, there is a connection between what are ordinarily referred to as "minorities" and Deleuze and Guattari's conception of the minor and becoming-minor. If becoming-minor often occurs in the context of what are ordinarily called minority groups, then this is because, Deleuze and Guattari argue, becoming-minor is catalyzed by existence in cramped social spaces. The key point not to be missed is that becoming-minor is not related to molar identities, nor is it a politics that seeks representation or recognition of such identities (though Deleuze and Guattari stress that these are worthwhile political ambitions).[3]
The example of patriarchy provides an illustration of how the concept of "minority" is used: while there may be more women than men numerically, in Deleuze and Guattari's terms, which are sensitive to relations of power, men still constitute the majority whereas women form a minority. Thus the concept of "becoming-minor" converges with that of "becoming-woman" (as they say, "everyone has to 'become-woman', even women..."), "becoming-animal", "becoming-molecular", "becoming-imperceptible" and ultimately, "becoming-revolutionary". Each type of affective becoming marks a new phase of a larger process that Deleuze and Guattari call deterritorialization.
François Laruelle further develops this concept in the nascent years of his non-philosophical oeuvre. His concept is distinguished from that of Deleuze and Guattari in that minorities are treated from the point of view (so to speak) of minorities and not via an ensemble of (ultimately) reversible becomings that ends up subordinating the minorities to the Authorities in general (the State, History, Sexuality, ...)[4]. Ultimately, in Laruelle's work, the minorities determine the Authorities unilaterally without being determined by them in turn and, as such, escapes from the philosophical and socio-logical significations of the term. In Le Principe de minorité (1981), he develops the Minority Principle as Unilaterality and then deepens this work in A Biography of Ordinary Man: On Authorities and Minorities (1985; trans. 2018 by Jessie Hock & Alex Dubilet).
^Laurie, Timothy; Khan, Rimi (2017), "The Concept of Minority for the Study of Culture", Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 31 (1): 3–4, doi:10.1080/10304312.2016.1264110, S2CID 152009904
^Charles Stivale, Gilles Deleuze: Key Concepts (Routledge, 2014), p. 118.
^Laurie, Timothy; Khan, Rimi (2017), "The Concept of Minority for the Study of Culture", Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 31 (1): 1–12, doi:10.1080/10304312.2016.1264110, S2CID 152009904
^François Laruelle, Who Are Minorities, and How Are We To Think Them?, trans. Taylor Adkins
Sourcesedit
Deleuze, Gilles. 1979. "One Manifesto Less." Trans. Alan Orenstein. The Deleuze Reader. Ed. Constantin V. Boundas. New York: Columbia UP, 1993. 204-222. ISBN0-231-07269-4. Also appears in Mimesis, Masochism, and Mime: The Politics of Theatricality in Contemporary French Thought. Ed. Timothy Murray. Trans. Eliane dal Molin and Timothy Murray. Theater: Theory/Text/Performance Ser. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1997. 239-258. ISBN0-472-06635-8. Trans. from Superpositions. By Gilles Deleuze and Carmelo Bene. Paris: Les Editions de Minuit.
---. 1975. Kafka: Toward a Minor Literature. Trans. Dana Polan. Theory and History of Literature 30. Minneapolis and London: U of Minnesota P, 1986. Trans. of Kafka: Pour une littérature mineure. Paris: Les Editions de Minuit. ISBN0-8166-1515-2.
---. 1996. Soft Subversions. Ed. Sylvère Lotringer. Trans. David L. Sweet and Chet Wiener. Semiotext(e) Foreign Agents Ser. New York: Semiotext(e). ISBN1-57027-030-9.
Laurie, Timothy & Khan, Rimi 2017, 'The Concept of Minority for the Study of Culture', Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 1–12.
Massumi, Brian. 1992. A User's Guide to Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Deviations from Deleuze and Guattari. Swerve editions. Cambridge, USA and London: MIT. ISBN0-262-63143-1.
Paul Patton, "Deleuze and Democracy", Contemporary Political Theory (2000) 4:4
November 26, 2023
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For other uses see Minority disambiguation This article is missing information about the actual definition of Deleuze and Guattari s concept Please expand the article to include this information Further details may exist on the talk page September 2022 Minority French minorite is a philosophical concept developed by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari in their books Kafka Towards a Minor Literature 1975 A Thousand Plateaus 1980 and elsewhere In these texts they criticize the concept of majority For Deleuze and Guattari becoming minor itarian is primarily an ethical action one of the becomings one is affected by when avoiding becoming fascist They argued further that the concept of a people when invoked by subordinate groups or those aligned with them always refers to a minority whatever its numerical power might be 1 For Deleuze and Guattari the minor and becoming minority does not refer to minority groups as described in ordinary language Minority groups are defined by identities and are thus molar configurations belonging to the majoritarian State machine Molar configurations are composed of infinite lines of particles i e lines of becoming 2 Deleuze and Guattari s central example here is Franz Kafka Kafka finds himself at home among neither the Prague Jews nor the dominant German and Austria Hungarian power structure For him a people is missing and his literature sets out to summon that people Nonetheless there is a connection between what are ordinarily referred to as minorities and Deleuze and Guattari s conception of the minor and becoming minor If becoming minor often occurs in the context of what are ordinarily called minority groups then this is because Deleuze and Guattari argue becoming minor is catalyzed by existence in cramped social spaces The key point not to be missed is that becoming minor is not related to molar identities nor is it a politics that seeks representation or recognition of such identities though Deleuze and Guattari stress that these are worthwhile political ambitions 3 The example of patriarchy provides an illustration of how the concept of minority is used while there may be more women than men numerically in Deleuze and Guattari s terms which are sensitive to relations of power men still constitute the majority whereas women form a minority Thus the concept of becoming minor converges with that of becoming woman as they say everyone has to become woman even women becoming animal becoming molecular becoming imperceptible and ultimately becoming revolutionary Each type of affective becoming marks a new phase of a larger process that Deleuze and Guattari call deterritorialization Francois Laruelle further develops this concept in the nascent years of his non philosophical oeuvre His concept is distinguished from that of Deleuze and Guattari in that minorities are treated from the point of view so to speak of minorities and not via an ensemble of ultimately reversible becomings that ends up subordinating the minorities to the Authorities in general the State History Sexuality 4 Ultimately in Laruelle s work the minorities determine the Authorities unilaterally without being determined by them in turn and as such escapes from the philosophical and socio logical significations of the term In Le Principe de minorite 1981 he develops the Minority Principle as Unilaterality and then deepens this work in A Biography of Ordinary Man On Authorities and Minorities 1985 trans 2018 by Jessie Hock amp Alex Dubilet See also edit nbsp Philosophy portalAffect philosophy Other RacismReferences edit Laurie Timothy Khan Rimi 2017 The Concept of Minority for the Study of Culture Continuum Journal of Media amp Cultural Studies 31 1 3 4 doi 10 1080 10304312 2016 1264110 S2CID 152009904 Charles Stivale Gilles Deleuze Key Concepts Routledge 2014 p 118 Laurie Timothy Khan Rimi 2017 The Concept of Minority for the Study of Culture Continuum Journal of Media amp Cultural Studies 31 1 1 12 doi 10 1080 10304312 2016 1264110 S2CID 152009904 Francois Laruelle Who Are Minorities and How Are We To Think Them trans Taylor AdkinsSources editDeleuze Gilles 1979 One Manifesto Less Trans Alan Orenstein The Deleuze Reader Ed Constantin V Boundas New York Columbia UP 1993 204 222 ISBN 0 231 07269 4 Also appears in Mimesis Masochism and Mime The Politics of Theatricality in Contemporary French Thought Ed Timothy Murray Trans Eliane dal Molin and Timothy Murray Theater Theory Text Performance Ser Ann Arbor U of Michigan P 1997 239 258 ISBN 0 472 06635 8 Trans from Superpositions By Gilles Deleuze and Carmelo Bene Paris Les Editions de Minuit Deleuze Gilles and Felix Guattari 1972 Anti Œdipus Trans Robert Hurley Mark Seem and Helen R Lane London and New York Continuum 2004 Vol 1 of Capitalism and Schizophrenia 2 vols 1972 1980 Trans of L Anti Oedipe Paris Les Editions de Minuit ISBN 0 8264 7695 3 1975 Kafka Toward a Minor Literature Trans Dana Polan Theory and History of Literature 30 Minneapolis and London U of Minnesota P 1986 Trans of Kafka Pour une litterature mineure Paris Les Editions de Minuit ISBN 0 8166 1515 2 1980 A Thousand Plateaus Trans Brian Massumi London and New York Continuum 2004 Vol 2 of Capitalism and Schizophrenia 2 vols 1972 1980 Trans of Mille Plateaux Paris Les Editions de Minuit ISBN 0 8264 7694 5 Guattari Felix 1984 Molecular Revolution Psychiatry and Politics Trans Rosemary Sheed Harmondsworth Penguin ISBN 0 14 055160 3 1995 Chaosophy Ed Sylvere Lotringer Semiotext e Foreign Agents Ser New York Semiotext e ISBN 1 57027 019 8 1996 Soft Subversions Ed Sylvere Lotringer Trans David L Sweet and Chet Wiener Semiotext e Foreign Agents Ser New York Semiotext e ISBN 1 57027 030 9 Laurie Timothy amp Khan Rimi 2017 The Concept of Minority for the Study of Culture Continuum Journal of Media amp Cultural Studies vol 31 no 1 pp 1 12 Massumi Brian 1992 A User s Guide to Capitalism and Schizophrenia Deviations from Deleuze and Guattari Swerve editions Cambridge USA and London MIT ISBN 0 262 63143 1 Paul Patton Deleuze and Democracy Contemporary Political Theory 2000 4 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Minority philosophy amp oldid 1124889703, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
