Gilles Deleuze: An Apprenticeship in Philosophy

Michael Hardt examines the early philosophical development of Gilles Deleuze through close readings of his works from the 1950s and 1960s. The book focuses on Deleuze's engagement with key philosophers including Bergson, Nietzsche, and Spinoza. Through analysis of these formative influences, Hardt traces how Deleuze developed his concepts of difference, multiplicity, and becoming. The work places particular emphasis on understanding how Deleuze's interpretations of other thinkers shaped his own philosophical trajectory. Hardt organizes the book around specific relationships between Deleuze and his philosophical predecessors, examining each in detail. The analysis moves chronologically through Deleuze's early career, contextualizing his intellectual evolution. The book offers insight into how philosophical apprenticeship functions as a mode of original thinking, revealing the complex interplay between influence and innovation in theoretical work. This study illuminates broader questions about the nature of philosophical education and development.

Readers note this book explains Deleuze's early philosophical development and influences in clear terms. Many appreciate how Hardt traces connections between Deleuze's reading of Bergson, Nietzsche, and Spinoza. Likes: - Makes complex ideas accessible to those new to Deleuze - Strong analysis of how Deleuze developed his concepts through other philosophers - Useful chapter organization following Deleuze's intellectual progression Dislikes: - Some find it oversimplifies Deleuze's more nuanced arguments - Focus only on early works leaves out important later developments - A few note Hardt's interpretation can be too selective Ratings: Goodreads: 4.13/5 (83 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (6 reviews) One reader called it "the perfect introduction to understanding how Deleuze arrived at his mature philosophy." Another noted it "lacks engagement with Deleuze's political thought." Some academic reviewers critique Hardt for emphasizing certain aspects of Deleuze's thought while minimizing others.

A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History by Manuel DeLanda This philosophical work applies Deleuzian concepts to human history through the lens of science, economics, and linguistics.

Nietzsche and Philosophy by Gilles Deleuze This examination of Nietzsche's philosophy presents the foundations of Deleuze's philosophical approach and method.

The Philosophy of Marx by Étienne Balibar This analysis connects Marx's philosophical concepts to contemporary thought and provides context for Deleuze's engagement with materialist philosophy.

Spinoza: Practical Philosophy by Gilles Deleuze This study of Spinoza reveals the connections between ethics, ontology, and politics that influenced Deleuze's philosophical development.

The Micro-Politics of Capital by Jason Read This work combines Marxist theory with post-structuralist philosophy to examine contemporary capitalism through a Deleuzian framework.

🔹 Michael Hardt wrote this book while living in a Seattle commune in the late 1980s, where he combined his academic research with political activism 🔹 The book was one of the first major English-language studies of Deleuze's early philosophical works, helping introduce American audiences to Deleuze's pre-Guattari writings 🔹 Hardt went on to collaborate with Antonio Negri to write "Empire," which became an unexpected bestseller and was called "the Communist Manifesto of the 21st century" by some critics 🔹 The book traces Deleuze's intellectual development through his engagement with Bergson, Nietzsche, and Spinoza - three philosophers who helped shape his unique approach to metaphysics 🔹 Despite focusing on Deleuze's early career, Hardt wrote this analysis specifically to understand how Deleuze's early work led to his later political philosophy with Félix Guattari