Notes on Deleuze ‘The Image of Thought’
Preliminaries
*Critique requires close attention to the distribution of the empirical/transcendental-de facto/de jure–fact/principle–accident/essence in theoretical systems.
*Dogmatic/Moral/Orthodox image of thought exists as a set of postulates–propositional themes which remain implicit and are understood pre-philosophically
*A Philosophy without presuppositions (‘thought without image’) is the philosophy which undertakes a radical critique of the postulates/the image of thought as non-philosophical. Image is non-philosophical because philosophy is supposed to break with the doxa.
*”The form of recognition has never sanctioned anything but the recognizable and the recognized; form will never inspire anything but conformities”
*This is an idealization of orthodoxy–instead of a break with the doxa this is a rationalization that universalizes them–a break with the doxic content but retention of the form.
*We will “remain slaves so long as we do not control the problems themselves, so long as we do not possess a right to the problems, to a participation in and management of the problems”
Where philosophy begins–problem of presupposition, problem of beginning
Philosophy≠Science–science has only objective presuppositions eliminable with axiomatic rigor; philosophy has objective and subjective presuppositions.
Philosophical Trick–reject objective presuppositions on condition of assuming subjective ones
| Objective Presupposition | Subjective Presupposition |
| Explicit | Implicit |
| In Concepts | In Opinions (Doxa) |
| Public | Private |
| Pre-conceptual/ Non-conceptual knowledge–‘Everybody knows…’ |
Eudoxus vs. Epistemon–Simpleton and pedant, both have presuppositions, Philosophy sides with Eudoxus and his subjective presuppositions. But philosophy ignores…
Underground Man/Untimely/Idiot–person who does not share the implicit presupposition–the only one without prejudices.
Well burrowed, old mole! 