Palmas

Deleuze & Delanda: New ontology -- DEFINITELY USE

was a paper presented at a conference in 2007
quals notes
17 july 2010

divergences between Deleuzians and actor-network theorists like Latour

discussion of some important terms, like assemblage, de/reterr
Main Point

Related to diss/quals
1
assemblage can be verb or noun
3
nice summary of assemblages
4-5
difference in Delanda's vocab w/Deleuzean vocab
8
quck summary of Deleuze's ontology
"As a replacement for the language-based social theory of the past decades, Dele
uze presents a new materialist ontology that explains the identity of entities t
hrough the existence of immanent processes, in which flows of matterenergy follo
w patterns of selforganisation, giving rise to structure."
13-14
discussion of complexity theory

17
How Deleuzeian framework can be used to analyze the economy, specifically the mo
dern corporation <b>method</b>
21
start of using Deleuzean terms to analyze corporation
substance of content
form of content
22
in relation to modern corporation
form of expression
substance of expression
25
factories can be thought of as strata
32
link from standard business theory of corporation and then introduction of Deleu
ze's concepts within that frame
38
Coltist
"Hence, the mass production economy of the 20th century should be dubbed Coltist ,
emphasising that it was the innovations of gunmaker
Samuel Colt who set out on the
endeavour of producing interchangeability, uniformity, and new modes of discipli
ne. In
other words, the power structures at hand the strata are better understood as mi
litary
structures, rather than market lawguided,
capitalist ones."

40-41
long quote
"Nevertheless, one Deleuzian idea that does have some similarities with performa
tivity is
the distinction between the molecular and the molar . Brian Massumi explains that thi
s
distinction is not one of scale, but of mode of composition: it is qualitative,
not
quantitative. In a molecular population (mass) there are only local connections
between discrete particles. In the case of a molar population (superindividual o
r
person) locally connected discrete particles have become correlated at a distanc
e.
[ ] Molarity implies the creation or prior existence of a welldefined
boundary
enabling the population to be grasped as a whole. (Massumi, 1992: 5455)
Using the terminology from before, molarity is achieved when elements of content
such
as prisoners, soldiers, pupils, workers or professionals are joined together in
highly
coded stratum, through elements playing an expressive role. Massumi continues:
A molar individual is the dominated term in a relation of power (a content for a
n
overpowering form of expression). A contained population is called a "subjected
group". The unity of a molarized individual is transcendent (exists only from th
e point of view of the forms of expression to which the individual is subjected,
and
on their level) [ ] A molarized individual is a "person" to the extent that a
category (cultural image of unity) has been imposed on it, and insofar as its
subsequent actions are made to conform to those prescribed by its assigned
category. (55)
Relating this concept back to political economy, one could argue that the notion
of the
corporation can at times be treated as a molar structure. The contents workers an
d
professionals can be more or less subsumed under overpowering expressive elements
(ideas, theories etc.), that assume that only certain modes of action can exist
within the
corporation. Corporations can thus be expected to conform to a cultural image of
unity ,
based upon transcendent essences that supposedly define their identities. For in
stance, the
identity of the corporation can be defined as a structure where all action is rati
onal and
profit maximising, as supposed by both neoclassical economics (the firm as a pro
duction
function) as well as by Marxist political economy."

41-2
"This property of molar structures can be explained in terms of complexity theor
y.
<41>
A structure is defined by its thresholds the relative limits within which it sel
ects,
perceives, and captures, more or less consistently (its margin of deviation); an
d
the absolute limits beyond which it breaks down (chance, chaos). [ ] The closest
thing there is to order is the approximate, and always temporary, prevention of
disorder. The closest thing there is to determinacy is the relative containment
of
chance. The opposite of chance is not determinacy. It is habit. (57-58)"

other, unrelated but interesting