Deleuze, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty: The Logic and Pragmatics of Creation

Jul 6, 2026

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This book investigates how Deleuze, Bergson, and Merleau-Ponty can be read together through a “three-body problem” model, treating their concepts as elements in a complex, potentially chaotic philosophical system. It frames relationships among their ideas as difficult to predict precisely, especially under small shifts in initial conditions such as interpretive starting points. The study also incorporates Deleuze–Guattari’s personae and Félix Guattari’s contribution as an additional perturbation, exploring logic, pragmatics of creation, affective life, duration, motion, event, and perception.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages180

Reading Time4 h 37 min

Introduction: Deleuze, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty: A Three-Body Problem in Continental Philosophy

Naturalism, Formalism, Phenomenology, and Semiology in Postmodern Philosophy

Deleuze and Guattari’s Critique of Logic

Bergson and Bergsonism

Duration, Motion, and Temporalization: Deleuze, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty

Phenomenology and the Event: Merleau-Ponty’s Radical Concepts: Reflection, Form, Idea, Multiplicity

The Philosophy of the Event: The Dark Precursor, the Chaos, and the Cosmos

Bibliography

Index

DELEUZE, BERGSON, MERLEAU-PONTY DELEUZE, BERGSON, MERLEAU-PONTY THE LOGIC AND PRAGMATICS OF CREATION, AFFECTIVE LIFE, AND PERCEPTION Q D O R O T H E A E . O L K O W S K I Indiana University Press This book is a publication of Indiana University Press Office of Scholarly Publishing Herman B Wells Library 350 1320 East 10th Street Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA [iupress.org](iupress.org) © 2021 by Dorothea E. Olkowski All rights reserved No part of this book maybe reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992 . Manufactured in the United States of America Cataloging information is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-253-05468-5 (hardback) ISBN 978-0-253-05469-2 (paperback) ISBN 978-0-253-05470-8 (e-book) CONTENTS Introduction: Deleuze, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty: A Three-Body Problem in Continental Philosophy 1 1. Naturalism, Formalism, Phenomenology, and Semiology in Postmodern Philosophy 10 2. Deleuze and Guattari’s Critique of Logic 26 3. Bergson and Bergsonism 58 4. Duration, Motion, and Temporalization: Deleuze, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty 82 5. Phenomenology and the Event: Merleau-Ponty’s Radical Concepts: Reflection, Form, Idea, Multiplicity 101 6. The Philosophy of the Event: The Dark Precursor, the Chaos, and the Cosmos 130 Bibliography 155 Index 163 DELEUZE, BERGSON, MERLEAU-PONTY Q Introduction Deleuze, Bergson, Merleau-Ponty: A Three-Body Problem in Continental Philosophy Can anyone predict how three entities will orbit one another in a repeating pattern?“Finding any solution is a daunting prospect. Three objects in space can be set off in infinite ways. Somehow, initial conditions—starting points, velocities, and so on—must be found that bring the objects back to those conditions so the whole dance can start over again.”1 In some respects, solutions to the physical or astrophysical three-body problem are more easily obtained than solutions to the philosophical version of this problem. Of course, the ideas of Gilles Deleuze, Henri Bergson, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty—the three philosophers brought together in this book—do not literally orbit one another in physical space, yet, like the physical problem, our three-body problem appears to be a chaotic system where tiny perturbations may be amplified endlessly and precise predictions about final outcomes are likely impossible—not merely in the work of these three philosophers but also in the ideas of those who make use of these ideas in their own work. Even so, deliberating on and addressing the problems associated with the relationships between the ideas of these three philosophers is the principle problem this book workstoresolve, exacerbated by the personaeDeleuze-Guattari that must include Félix Guattari, whose engagement with Deleuze introduces another perturbation. If the relationships existing between the three philosophers in the title is a true three-body problem, everything depends on a number of considerations, such as where our analysis starts, whether or not the three philosophers’ ideas have the ideational equivalent of the same mass, and whether or not they are uniformly spaced in relation to one another. In other words, do we carry out a chronological analysis? Have each of the three philosophers’ ideas had the

FAQs

What central framework does the book use to connect Deleuze, Bergson, and Merleau-Ponty?

It uses a “three-body problem” analogy, suggesting that relationships among the philosophers’ ideas form a complex system where small interpretive perturbations can have large consequences.

Why does the book treat philosophical understanding as difficult to predict?

It argues that, like chaotic physical systems, the philosophical “three-body” relationships may resist precise outcome prediction, making results contingent on initial interpretive conditions.

How does Deleuze–Guattari factor into the project?

The book notes that Deleuze–Guattari introduces additional perturbation through Félix Guattari’s engagement with Deleuze, affecting how the three philosophical elements are related.

Jul 6, 2026

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