LLM Note "The Invention of a People: Heidegger and Deleuze on Art and the Political" Sholtz

Based on review by Calcagno

Heidegger and Deleuze, though seemingly divergent in their philosophical pursuits, share common interests in thinkers like Kant, Leibniz, and Nietzsche. Recent scholarship, notably Gavin Rae's "Ontology in Heidegger and Deleuze," and Janae Sholtz's work on art and politics, has begun to bridge the gap between them. Sholtz, particularly, explores how both philosophers tackle the question of community formation, drawing on Heidegger's Mitsein and Deleuze's notions of deterritorialization. Despite Deleuze's emphasis on destabilizing structures, such as the nomadic versus the State, his philosophy also acknowledges their intertwined nature.

Deleuze's political philosophy confronts the realities of deterritorialized capital and consumption without seeking transcendence. He focuses on the 'minor', formations that resist national boundaries and hierarchical structures while operating within the system. Despite challenging dominant power regimes, Deleuze still acknowledges the necessity of established forms of control. Sholtz argues that Deleuze maintains Heidegger's concept of 'people' and engages with his ontology to rethink immanence and the essence of art. In her book, she examines Nietzsche's influence on both philosophers' views on art and politics, tracing Heidegger's evolving understanding of aesthetics.

Sholtz argues that while Heidegger shares Nietzsche's critique of metaphysics, he diverges in his pursuit of the unthought, which involves redefining human nature through its relation to being. Deleuze, though critical of Heidegger's view on the end of metaphysics, explores metaphysical themes through Nietzsche, emphasizing openness to being. Rather than redefining humanity, both philosophers stress the importance of openness and maintaining conditions for infinite thought.

In Part II, titled "(Un)Thinking, What must be Thought," Sholtz examines the transformative potential of art for politics in both Heidegger and Deleuze. Heidegger seeks a new beginning for humanity and art, emphasizing the role of language in expanding our understanding of being. For Heidegger, the poet grounds existence through language, creating possibilities for new beginnings and decisions. Sholtz also delves into Deleuze's perspective on art, highlighting how he repositions our understanding of the earth and explores its relationship to the planetary.

In his later philosophy, Heidegger introduces the concept of the planetary, transitioning from earth to the cosmic. Sholtz connects Heidegger and Deleuze's ideas on art through the work of Kostos Axelos, who revises the planetary concept, aligning with Deleuze's notion of being as becoming. Part III of Sholtz's book explores the relationship between art and politics, focusing on the formation of a "people-to-come," envisioned by Heidegger as a gathering place for historical destiny and the construction of a homeland through art. This chapter confronts the challenges posed by Heidegger's association with Nazism and Deleuze's opposition to fascism and totalitarianism.

Deleuze presents art as a means to create a cosmic and minor people, emphasizing group formation based on heterogeneity and fluidity. He envisions a good group as resembling a pack, with heterogeneous parts and fluid structures, fostering inclusivity and embracing contingency positively. Both Deleuze and Heidegger explore the invention of new types of people, whether wanderers or nomads, through art's potential for openness. Sholtz highlights Deleuze's ethical framework, which includes responsibility to others, sensitivity to affect, and accountability for the worlds created, offering a dynamic concept of group interaction beyond borders and nations.

In the conclusion, Sholtz emphasizes becoming as an ongoing process, highlighting the inherent risks of randomness and uncertainty in art's flux. She underscores the necessity for a people-to-come to adapt to life's conditions, urging a dynamic understanding of creation and immanence. Sholtz offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between Deleuze and Heidegger regarding art and politics, though some Deleuzians may be uneasy with the Derridean-influenced idea of a people-to-come, and Heideggerians may find the emphasis on a possible future neglects historical forces shaping present peoples. Sholtz acknowledges both thinkers' shared concerns while recognizing their significant differences.

(Yes, this is an LLM assisted summary of the NDPR review by Antonio Calcagno)