STYLE & THOUGHT, UNBOUND: A DELEUZEAN ONTOLOGY OF STYLE

Abstract

The field of theoretical practice seems to have moved away from the stylistic presentations of thought that defined it in the 20th century. However, the wedge between style and thought is not a novel phenomenon and can be traced back to Plato and Aristotle. Rather than arguing for or against style, I seek out an examination of the ontological relation between style and thought. Utilising the work of Gilles Deleuze for his multiple intersecting ontologies and his unconventional conception of “style”, I locate the resonances between Deleuze’s concept of “style” and his ontology of difference. I find in Deleuze a tripartite concept of style concomitant with his ontology and ultimately conclude that style is coextensive with Being and Thought – for all that is is, is thought, and possesses a style.