The Rejection of Teaching in Philosophy. Deleuze, Nietzsche, and Stirner

Abstract

The problematic of education in philosophy is related to the question of reproduction, progression, and transfer of knowledge. In the paper, I examine the Deleuzian interpretation of Nietzschean philosophy. I argue that such philosophy in a certain sense radically rejects teaching in philosophy. The rejection is driven by the recognition that mediation of thought often presents the enforcement of a particular thought. Such thought represents itself as being universal, even if it is merely an expression of particular interest, type or form of living. According to Deleuze, Nietzsche rejected such a dogmatic image of thought and established thought as a singular expression of a concrete living individuum, who resists the enforced universalism of thought (morality, common sense, universal truth). This can be compared with the philosophy of Stirner. Despite the similarities, I argue that the final aim of resistance to teaching is in Deleuze’s version of Nietzsche exactly the opposite as in Stirner: the aim is not the establishment of a nihilistic, in itself enclosed self. On the contrary, the aim is a radical opening of the self towards the outside. This opening is in the conclusion of the paper described with Deleuze’s understanding of the learning process.

Keywords

• deleuze
• nietzsche
• stirner
• philosophical teaching
• image of thought