Flow, Code and Stock: A Note on Deleuze's Political Philosophy

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (supplement) ◽  
pp. 36-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Political Philosophy ◽  
General Theory ◽  
Political Theory ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Deleuze And Guattari ◽  
John Maynard Keynes ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
The Social ◽  
Marxist Analysis

In Anti-Oedipus, Deleuze and Guattari claim that a general theory of society must be a generalised theory of flows. This is hardly a straightforward claim, and this paper attempts to examine the grounds for it. Why should socio-political theory be based on a theory of flows rather than, say, a theory of the social contract, or a theory of the State, or the questions of legitimation or revolution, or numerous other possible candidates? The concept of flow (and the related notions of code and stock), I argue, is derived from contemporary economic theory, and most notably John Maynard Keynes. Deleuze and Guattari remained Marxists, not only because they held that contemporary political philosophy must inevitably be centred on the analysis of capitalism, but also because they held, following Marx himself, that the Marxist analysis of capital must constantly be transformed and adapted to new conditions. Thus, while certain aspects of Marx's analysis disappear from Capitalism and Schizophrenia, they are supplemented by the addition of new concepts adequate to the contemporary state of capitalism. The paper concludes, then, with an analysis of the role played by the concepts of flow, code and stock in Deleuze and Guattari's political philosophy.

scholarly journals W. Stark, J.M. Keynes and the Mercantilists

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantinos Repapis
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
General Theory ◽  
Sociology Of Knowledge ◽  
Economic Thought ◽  
Social Conditions ◽  
History Of Economic Thought ◽  
John Maynard Keynes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Intellectual Traditions ◽  
History Of

In this paper we investigate Werner Stark’s sociology of knowledge approach in the history of economic thought. This paper explores: 1) The strengths and weaknesses of Stark’s approach to historiography, 2) seeing how this can frame an understanding of mercantilist writings and, 3) develop a link between a pluralist understanding of economics, and the sociology of knowledge approach. The reason for developing this link is to extend the sociology of knowledge approach to encompass a pluralist understanding of economic theorising and, at the same time, clarify the link between context and economic theory. John Maynard Keynes’ practice of building narratives of intellectual traditions as evidenced in The General Theory is used to develop a position between an understanding of history of economic thought as the evolution of abstract and de-contextualized economic theorising and, the view of economic theory as only relevant within the social conditions from which it arose.

Another Voluntarism

Legitimacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 43-66
Author(s):  
Paul Weithman
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Social Contract Theory ◽  
The Public ◽  
Corporate Body ◽  
The Social ◽  
Real Work ◽  
Moral Claims ◽  
Philosophical Questions

John Rawls’s presentation of his famous principle of legitimacy raises a number of exegetical and philosophical questions which his texts leave unresolved. The key to their solution lies in a claim Rawls makes about the character of political power. Rawls uses language familiar from social contract theory to describe that power, saying that it is the power of the public as a corporate body. This chapter considers but ultimately rejects the suggestion that Rawls’s treatment of legitimacy is Lockean. Rather, Rawls follows Kant in thinking that talk of a contractual incorporation is best understood as a way of expressing fundamental moral claims about the object of a constitution, about citizens’ standing, and about legislators’ duties. These are the claims that do the real work in Rawls’s account of legitimacy. To show this, the chapter lays out Kant’s conception of the social contract and argues that we can draw on that conception to understand Rawls’s account of political legitimacy. It then spells out the philosophical pay-offs of the reading offered here by showing how it solves some textual puzzles and how Rawls’s account differs from others that have recently been defended in political philosophy. The chapter concludes by mentioning some lingering questions about Rawlsian legitimacy.

How, and for How Long, Did Keynes maintain theTreatiseTheory?

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-307
Author(s):  
Toshiaki Hirai
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
General Theory ◽  
Theory Building ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Crucial Importance ◽  
Monetary Reform ◽  
Interesting Phenomenon ◽  
John Maynard Keynes ◽  
Primary Material ◽  
Intellectual Journey

Many historians of economic theory have studied how John Maynard Keynes developed his theory fromA Tract on Monetary ReformthroughA Treatise on Money(hereafter theTreatise) toThe General TheoryofEmployment, Interest and Money(hereafter theGeneral TheoryorGT). After the pioneering studies by Moggridge (1973) and Patinkin (1976, 1982), there followed Dimand (1988), Amdeo (1989), Clarke (1988, 1998), Meltzer (1988), Moggridge (1992), Skidelsky (1992), Laidler (1999), and others. This is no wonder, for the Keynesian Revolution remains the most singular phenomenon that economic theory and policy have ever seen. Although the objective of our entire project has been to shed new light on this important and interesting phenomenon, examining and analyzing the processes of theory-building and rebuilding which constitute Keynes's intellectual journey (see Hirai 1997–99), the present paper focuses solely on one chapter in the long story of the transition through his three major works. The very fact of addressing the questions, “How did Keynes maintain the theory developed in theTreatiseafter its publication (October 1930), and for how long?” narrows the period under study to approximately two years which span roughly from October 1930 through October 1932. Our scrutiny will range over the original texts and primary material such as manuscripts, lecture notes, and correspondence produced over this period, and our findings will rest on the meticulous analysis of material of crucial importance for a clear understanding of Keynes's theoretical situation. We will also offer our comments on the earlier efforts insofar as they relate to the period in question.

scholarly journals Animal Ethics and Politics Beyond the Social Contract

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-222
Author(s):  
Alan Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Animal Ethics ◽  
Moral Disagreement ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Reasonable Pluralism ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Problem ◽  
Principles Of Justice ◽  
Political Actions

This paper is divided into three sections. First, I describe the wide plurality of views on issues of animal ethics, showing that our disagreements here are deep and profound. This fact of reasonable pluralism about animal ethics presents a political problem. According to the dominant liberal tradition of political philosophy, it is impermissible for one faction of people to impose its values upon another faction of people who reasonably reject those values. Instead, we are obligated to justify our political actions to each other using reasons that everyone can accept. Thus, in the second section I suggest that our condition of reasonable pluralism inspires us to turn toward some form of contractarianism. The social contract tradition emerged precisely as an attempt to think about how a society characterized by deep moral disagreement could nonetheless agree about the basic principles of justice. I will show, in this section, that although the social contract tradition would seem to contain the best tools for thinking about how to deal with moral disagreement, it fails to help us think through the important issues of animal ethics. In the concluding section, I suggest some ways in which political philosophy might move beyond contractarianism when thinking about this issue, including embracing an agonistic style of politics.

scholarly journals Sovereignty and Democracy in Global Times: acutality of the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Political Philosophy and the limits of the social contract

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 108
Author(s):  
Marcus Baccega
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
The Political ◽  
Global Capital ◽  
Political Sovereignty ◽  
Jean Bodin ◽  
The Social ◽  
Isidore Of Seville ◽  
The Republic

SOBERANIA E DEMOCRACIA EM TEMPOS MUNDIALIZADOS: ATUALIDADE DA FILOSOFIA POLÍTICA DE JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU E OS LIMITES DO CONTRATO SOCIAL Resumo: este artigo visa a problematizar os (des)caminhos dos conceitos políticos e das práticas sociais e jurídicas em torno da soberania política do Estado Nacional e da democracia nos tempos de mundialização do Capital. Portanto, revisita e percorre uma breve arqueologia conceitual da Soberania, desde Isidoro de Sevilha até a clássica definição de Jean Bodin nos Seis Livros sobre a República (1576). O propósito é problematizar a filosofia política de Rousseau para, então, perceber e discutir seus limites suas virtualidades, bem como a atualidade de sua noção de Contrato Social e o papel da Filosofia Política na Era do Capital Global. Palavras-chave: Rousseau. Soberania. Mundialização do Capital. Abstract: this paper casts doubt on the ways and shunts of political concepts and social and legal practices concerning political sovereignty of the Nation State and democracy at the time of Capital’s globalization. It revisits a brief conceptual archeology of Sovereignty, since Isidore of Seville to the classical definition by Jean Bodin in The Six Books on the Republic (1576). The purpose is casting doubt on the political philosophy of Rousseau, in order to discuss its limits and virtualities, and the topicality of his notion of social contract and the role of Political Philosophy at the Age of Global Capital. Keywords: Rousseau. Sovereignty. Globalization of Capital.

scholarly journals Rousseau e o espetáculo do paradoxo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Sérgio Santos Da Silva ◽  
Marcio Danelon
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Critical Reception ◽  
Or Education ◽  
The Social ◽  
Politics And Education ◽  
Keywords Education ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
E Mail ◽  
The Way

*Doutorando em Educação pela Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU). E-mail: [email protected]. * Doutor em Filosofia da Educação pela Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) e professor da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU).  E-mail: [email protected]. Rousseau e o espetáculo do paradoxo Resumo: O presente estudo discute a relação entre política e educação na obra de Jean-Jacques Rousseau a partir de autores que constituem a recepção crítica da obra do filósofo. A propósito, apresenta elementos da vida e da obra do autor genebrino. Expõe eixos fundamentais da ideia de contratualismo ou jusnaturalismo. Discorre acerca das teses de Rousseau atinentes à confluência entre Do Contrato Social (reflexão política) e o Emílio ou da Educação (reflexão educacional). Exibe a ideia de paradoxo da liberdade presente na teoria política de Rousseau. Aponta para os desdobramentos deste paradoxo na reflexão educacional do autor, especialmente nos dois primeiros livros do Emílio, pelo princípio de educação negativa. Palavras-chave: Educação. Liberdade. Paradoxo. Política. Rousseau. Rousseau and the paradox of the spectacle Abstract: The present study discusses the relationship between politics and education in the Jean-Jacques Rousseau’work from authors who constitute the critical reception of this philosopher's work. By the way, show elements of the life and work of the Genevan author. It exposes fundamental axes of the idea of contractualism or jusnaturalism. It discusses Rousseau's theses concerning the confluence between The Social Contract (political reflection) and Emílio or Education (educational reflection). It shows the idea of the paradox of freedom present in Rousseau's political theory. It points to the unfolding of this paradox in the educational reflection of this author, especially in the first two books of the Emílio, by the  negative education’principle. Keywords: Education. Freedom. Paradox. Politics. Rousseau.

scholarly journals Rousseau, Rio, and the Green Economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2(54)) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Political Theory ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Human Security ◽  
Political Order ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
The Social

The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau emerges as the most compelling and seminal piece of political theory. It explores legitimate political order in the context of classical republicanism. This paper delves into the following questions around Rousseau’s thesis: What would Rousseau make of the contemporary multilateralist surveillance regime, gridlocked in key areas that have direct links with human security? How would he square with a society that seems to be at odds with the nature– society equilibrium that he staunchly advocated for? Will Rousseau be able to lift today’s generation out of the collective myopia that focuses on individualism as the gateway to a prosperous future?

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