Makingabodythatquestions

NotesforlectureatGoldsmithsUniversity,13thnovember2015

MattLee

ThreecentralconceptsfromATPthatcanenablearethinkingofthebodyinstruggle.

StrataAsssemblageLinesofFlight

(A)Strata(smoothandstriated)

Thisisoftenexpressedintermsof smoothandstriated
the .Twoelementshelpus
understandthistheBwOandDesire.

1)TheBodywithoutOrgansandtheOrganism

IfFelixGuattariandGillesDeleuzehaveanythingtosayaboutbodiesthatisspecificto
them,itisprobablytobefoundinthewaythattheytrytounderstandthebodyasasiteof
conflict.Totaketheirmostfamousformulations,whichallcentrearoundtheconceptofthe
'bodywithoutorgans',thebodyisasiteofconflictbetween thebodywithout andthebody
withorgans(theorganism).Theorgansaren't'natural'inthissituationbutarethoseforces
ofthebodywithoutorgansthathavebeenorganisedintoan organism (cfATP:158).

Theorganism isnotatallthebody,theBwOratheritisastratumontheBwO,inother
words,aphenomenonof accumulation,coagulationandsedimentation that,
inorderto
extractusefullabourfromtheBwO,imposesuponitforms,functions,bonds,
dominantandhierarchizedorganisations,organisedtranscendences .Thestrataare
bondsWearecontinuallystratified.TheBwOisthatglacialrealitywherethealluvions,
sedimentations,coagulations,foldingsandrecoilingsthatcomposeanorganismandalsoa
signifiationandasubjectoccur.(ATP:159)

TheBwOisthatwhichisorganised(striated),andtheplacewheretheorganisationtakes
place.

Organisedbywhat?

Bythesociological(butalsothegeological,thebiological,thetechnological,the
cosmologicalthe logositselfasanorganisingforceherethemovefromAOtoATPis
preciselyamovewhichtakesconceptsdevelopedintheanthropicsettingandbeginsto
extendthem,testthem,as generalisedconceptualtools ie:asontologicalnot
anthropologicalconceptsthisisaphilosophicalproblematicisthereoneprocessthat
envelopsthehuman,oristhereabreak/gap/split between thehumanandthenonhuman?).

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TheBwOisorganisedmorespecificallybyparticularcodes,codes(notmeanings)that
recordasstriations (thefluxcarvesoutpaths,alongwhichfurtherfluxesthenflow
sedimentation,erosionanddisruption).

Thecode(atleastintheanthropiccontext) striates
theBodyWithoutOrganswhichisa
smoothnessinthreemajorwaysandindoingsoproduces
organisms
meanings(significance)and
subjects.

If(toofferacrudetopography)Spivakfocuseson theorganisationofSubjectsandSaidon
theorganisationofSignificances ,thenDeleuzeandGuattaripointustowardsthisthirdstrata
oftheorganisationoftheorganism,thebody.Itisalsoherethatwemightthinkaboutthe
relationthatwefindbroughtforwardsoprominentlyinFanonbetweenviolenceandthe
body.Inschizoanalyticterms,Fanonmightbesaidtohaveagreaterfocusonthe
organizationofthebody,onthewaythatthisstriation,thislayerorform,isconstitutedwithin
thecolonised.Hereitismorethanaquestionofmeaningorevenofsubjectivityandagency,
althoughtheseareobviouslyinterrelatedandimportant,itisaquestionof thedocilityor
activityofthebodyitself.

2)Thebodyisafluxofdesire

Thecrucialtensionthenisbetweenanorganisingforceandanorganisedsomethingwhat
isitthatisorganised,striated,codified?TheanswerforD&Gisdesire.Desireisnot
human,notsomethingspecifictoahumanbeing,perhapsnotevenspecifictotheorganic
butis,fundamentally,theprocessof productionthroughconnection. Thereisnothingthatis
desiredthatstartsthedesire,absentorotherwise,notistheresomething towardswhich
desireaims.Desireissimplefluxofconnection,disconnection,connection.Itisa
swarming,seething,blindforceanditproducesflows.

Imagineyourselfinanunderwaterfacility,allaroundyoutheoceanpressingin.Aslongas
thestructureholdsfastyoucanliveintheillusionofsecuritybutatnightyoudreamof
drowningandduringthedaythesteelandglassgraduallycorrodeasthewaterkeeps
seethingallaround,reacting,catalysing,seepingslowlyintothetiniest,microscopicfracture
inthematerial,microscopicfracturesthatwillgraduallyputthedesireofthewatertowork,
graduallyallowittocorrodethecocoonyouliveinuntil,oneday,thoseseething,seeping
connections,madedaybyday,minutebyminute,secondbysecond,willeruptina
catastrophiccollapseandthedreamofdrowningwillbecomethenightmarereality.

Thisisthefluxofdesire.Thisprocessofcontinualconnection,production,destruction,at
themicroscopicpreorganisedlevel,thisprocessthatundermineseachstructure,thisisthe
body,thisfluxofdesirethatcannotstopstill,thatcannotrest.

Thebodyisnothingmorethanafluxofdesireorganisedinaparticularformorstructure
throughasetofcodesthatimposethemselvesontheflux,codesthatthemselvesresult
fromthefluxandwhichexistbecauseoftherecordingsofpastflows.

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Itisfarbettertothinkingeologicalandecologicaltermswhenattemptingtothinkofdesire
thantothinkinhumansterms:thinkofthesociologicalasangeoorecologicalanalogue,of
theorganismasageoorecologicalfeature.

(B)AssemblagesandTerritories

Assemblagesaredifferentfromstrata.Theyareproducedinthestrata,butoperatein
zoneswheremilieusbecomedecoded:theybeginbyextractinga territory fromthemilieus.
Everyassemblageisbasicallyterritorial.(ATP:503)

Thebodyisneversingularitisonlyever anassemblage.

Ifthebasicformresultingfromthefluxofdesireisaseriesofsmoothandstriatedspaces,
then withinthestratawefindassemblages.

Assemblages operate theyhavealifeoftheirownandbecauseofthistheyhaveazoneof

operation,their territory.

Thisterritoryismostoftenencounteredintheideaof home .Thereissomewherethatthing,

thatanimal,thatperson,thatplant,isathomeornot.

theassemblageandterritory
Itisatthelevelof thatwefindtheideaofmeaningandaction
speakinganddoing,sayingandbehaving,gesturingandacting.The semioticand
pragmatic systemsoperateinthiszoneofassemblageandterritory.Ofcourse,these
assemblagesandterritoriesareneitherautonomousnordiscrete,theyformpartofthewider
processofthefluxofdesireandtheorganisationofflows.

(C)Bodiesthatquestion

Heideggerfamouslydistinguishedthehumanfromthenonhumanintermsofquestioning,
moreaccurately,hedeterminedatypeofassemblage, Dasein, whichquestionsitsown
being,whichischaracterisedbyitscapacitytoquestionnot,note,bythemere asking of
questionsbutbythe activity
ofquestioning.WhatisdecisiveforHeideggeris the
movementofquestioningthataloneletswhatistruecomeoutintotheopen (ITM:106).

NowHeideggerisnotenormouslyinterestedinthe genesis ofsuchabeing,butDeleuzeand

Guattariare.Ifthebodythatquestionsisanassemblagewithaterritory, either thisisa
uniqueandspecialcharacteristicofa specialtypeofbody inwhichcaseweenteraspace
inwhichweprivilegeaparticularkindofbeing or
questioningisaprocessthatresultsfrom
thebasicprocessesoffluxandorganisationthat bodiesarecapableof. Itisthislatterroute
thatisimportantforthem.

Ifabody,anassemblage,alwayshasaterritorythenwhatmightproduceashiftfroman
unquestioningtoaquestioningbehaviour?Note, notameaning ,butabehaviourinrelation
toastructure.Itistheedgeorthelimitthatproducesthequestion.

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Oneresponsetothisistothinkoftheterritoryassomethingthathaslimits.

Theassemblageoperatesandasitdoessoitproducessigns,thecontentof
behaviour/actionexpressesgestures/signs.Yetatparticularpointstheseactivities
encounterlimitsthresholds,boundaries,impossibilities,necessities.Attheselimits,at
theseedges,onecansubmitorconfront,movebackormoveforward,dependingonthe
docilityoractivityoftheassemblage.

Nowassumethattheselimitsarenotfixed.

Territoriesdonotexistinisolationbutincontinuousrelationtootherterritoriesandtheyare
alsonotstaticbutshift,growingorslowing,increasingordecreasing,andinthissituation
oneterritorycanconstrictandsqueezeanother.Asthecolonistsestablishtheirterritoryit
constrictsthecolonised.Forawhilethismightsimplyresultinakindofpassivityasthe
edgesshift,theassemblagesmoveintotheirheartland,orreconstituteaheartland.Yetif
theprocesscontinuesthenthecoloniststerritoryeventuallyencroachesoneverythingand
onceithasswarmedacrossthelandsitcontinuesintothehands.Itmoveseverfurtherinto
thecolonisedbody,firsttakingthebordersofthelands,thentakingtheactivityofthehands
andfinallypushingintotheverybreathofthecolonisedbodies,touchingonthefluxofdesire
thatisexpressedinthisparticularassemblage.

Attheedgetherearealwaysquestions ,butwhentheedgeliesbeyondthehorizon,whenit
isovertherethesequestionsarenotforcedintoexistence.Theystillexist,theyarestill
raised,eachassemblagehasitsownterritoriesandwhilsttheymightoverlap,notwo
assemblageshaveexactlythesameborders.Asthehorizonbeginstofillwithnewborders,
however,thebordersoftheterritoriesnowbecomemoreandmorecommonnotions
amongstwholeswarmsofassemblages,producinginturnnewcollectiveassemblagesa
people,arace,anation,agroup,acreed,adenomination.

Nowthecruxofthematteristobefoundatthemomentatwhich theexistenceofone
territorycannottoleratetheexistenceofanother when,wemightsay,aterritoryis
overwhelmed.Tobeoverwhelmedistocaughtinaflood,tohavetheterritorydestroyed
andtobecaughtinthefluxofdesire,whereprocessesof deterritorialisation
nowdominate.
Puredeterritorialisationisterror,theterroroftheoverwhelmingfloodofwater,orcoloniser,
oremotion.Whenoneterritoryisconqueringanotherthosethatarebeingconqueredcan
nolongersimplyexisttheymustbeassimilatedorannihilated,ortheymustfight.There
arenootheroptions.

Itisnotanaccidentthatthesloganoflibertyordeatharises
itexpressesthecontentof
theactivityoftheflows,fromaparticularperspective,theperspectiveoftheterritorythatis
beingconquered.Itisnotamoralslogan,orachoicetobemadeandwhichoneisbeing
exhortedtochooseitisanexpressionofthefactsoftheflows,ofthecontentofactual
activity.

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Flowstaketime,however.Timeisthespacebetweenpassivities,itistheactiveforcethat
arisesatthelimitsofassemblagesandterritories,betweennowandthen,between
yesterdayandtomorrow,betweenhomefullnessandhomelessness.

Inthisspace,ofthreshold,oftransition,ofmovementandactivity,wecanencounter
comradeslikeFanonasexpressionsofthecontentofactivitythattheyaresurroundedby.
Fanonattempts,atfirst,tomerelydevelopaterritoryalifewemightsaythatoperatesin
acollective,interested,cooperativemode.Thefunctionofasocialstructureistosetup
institutionstoserveman'sneeds.1Hisclinicalpracticeexpressesthisinthatthemadare
notobjectstobeconqueredbutpeoplehumanbeingswithwhomhecoexistsandwhom
heattemptstococonstructaworldwithhisassemblageissuchthatheengagesin
coconstructingaterritoryofhumanactivityinwhichallareathome2 .Yetthisiscrosscutby
theflowsofconstrictionthatarisefromtheactionofthoseassemblagesthatwouldconquer
anddestroy.Ifhehadbeenabletosimplyslipintoaspaceofclinicalpracticethat
comfortablyexistedoutsideofthoselinesofconflictgeneratedbythosewhowouldconquer
thenwemightneverhadheardofhim,hemighthaveslippedawayfromhistoryintoa
territoryofsafety.Yetthiswasnotpossible.Heiscaughtintheoverwhelmingflood.

BythetimeFanonresignsfromthePsychiatricHospitalatBlidaJoinvillein1956,wherehe
hadworkedfor3years,heisclearabouttheverystatusofpsychiatricpracticewithina
colonisedterritory:

Ifpsychiatryisthemedicaltechniquethataimstoenablemannolongertobea
strangertohisenvironment,loweittomyselftoaffirmthattheArab,permanentlyan
alieninhisowncountry,livesinastateofabsolutedepersonalization.

WhatisthestatusofAlgeria?Asystematizeddehumanization.3

(D)Makingabodythatquestions

Thequestionarisesattheedgeofaterritory,withtheassemblagesencounterwithitslimits,
limitswhichcanshiftastheassemblagedevelopsorasterritoriescollide.Thesecanbe
accidentalencountersofforcedones.Imightstandonthebeachattheedgeoftheseaand
neverencounterthequestionofwhetherIcanswimotherthanthroughanalmostrandom
action.YetifIambeingchased,byhungerorhunter,thenthewaterbecomesmorethana
passivelimit,thebeachbecomesamomentofhavingthequestionposedandswimmingan

1
F.Fanon,LettertotheResidentMinister,inFranzFanon, TowardstheAfricanrevolution ,1967
MonthlyReviewPress,p53.
2
ThiswouldneedtobemuchmorefullydevelopedasanaccountoftheassemblagethatFanonis,but
oneexample,oneclue,canbefoundinthesecondthesisofthetextTheNorthAfricanSyndrome,

SECONDTHESIS.Thattheattitudeofmedicalpersonnelisveryoftenanaprioriattitude.TheNorth
Africandoesnotcomewithasubstratumcommontohisrace,butonafoundation
builtbytheEuropean.Inotherwords)theNorthAfrican,spontaneously,bytheveryfactofappearing
onthescene,entersintoapreexistingframework .Thisaprioriorpreexistingframeworkisthe
encounterandexpressionofwhathereIamdescribingintermsoftheimpositionandconqueringofone
territorybyanother.Fanon,ibid,p7
3
Fanon,ibid,p53.
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answerbothforcedandembracedinresponsetotherealityofthoseassemblagesand
territoriesthatsurroundme.

Wealwaysofnecessitybegininthemiddleofthings,inthemidstofthings.Actionsand
thoughtsarenotisolatedbutalwayspartofnetworksofflows,connections,transformations.
Attheedgeweencountertheterritorieslimitandindoingsoweencountermostdirectly
those linesofflight
thatconstitutethemomentsof deterritorialisation.
Theuncanny,the
homelessness,thelineofescapefrom thisterritory
.

Thelinesdontbegin,however,attheedge,butcrosscuttheterritories,constantlyshifting
andconnecting,flowingacrosstheorganisation,derivingfromtheBodyWithoutOrgansasit
seepsandseethesintothesedimented,coagulatedterritories.Wemightcomefacetoface
withthemifforcedtotheedgebutwecanalsoencounterthemeverywhere,ifwecanface
thefearoftheoverwhelmingthattheypointtowards.Fanonisforcedtoencounterthese
linesofflightfromthepositionofbeingoverwhelmed,as linesoffight,
forcedtotryand
understandthedances,magicalrituals,psychologicalformsandexpressionsofoneterritory
thatisbeingoverwhelmedbyanother4and,facedwiththeoptionsofdrowningorswimming,
hefightstolearntoswim,findsassemblagesofsurvivalinthenationalliberationstruggleof
Algeria,whereheorganisesquiteliterallylinesofconnectionthatenableresistance,as
forexamplewhenhedevelopsthedetailsofhowtoestablishsupplylinesforweaponryfor
theFLNfromMali5 .

Thispracticalaction,thismovetoalterthenatureoftheassemblages,isthebeginningof
theprocessofmakinghimselfabodythatquestionsnotjustamind,notjusta Dasein ,not
justsomeimageofanisolatedindividualmeditatingpeacefullyinasecurehomelyspace.
WhenDescartesproduceshiswork,itisnotonthefrontlinesofthewarhehasjustbeen
involvedin,itisinanisolatedterritoryheconstructs,infrontofawoodburner,warm,fed
andsafe.

This,perhaps,isthelessontodrawfromFanonthatmakingoneselfabodythatquestions
involvesrecognisingtheflowofterritories,theoverwhelmingofoneterritorybyanotherand
respondingtoitwiththe attempttofindmodesofconnectionthat altertheflows
.Itisa
matterofaskingwhatworks,whatisitthatisworkingnowandwhatisitthatcanalterthis,
notinanabstractsense,notingeneralbutrighthere,rightnow,todayandtomorrowand
nextweekwithinthishorizon,whatisthenextsteptogettoanotherworld.Fortheonly
otheroptionistosimplysettlehere,wherewearenow,withwhatwehaveandnomore
andtodieassumingnootherworldispossible.

4
SeeFanonsdiscussionsin TheWretchedoftheEarth ,GrovePress,1963forexample:thecathartic
(tensionrelease)forminthediscussionofdance,thecircleetcp57,thedescriptionofcolonialismin
termsofvariousforcesintellectual,settler,nativenationalistparty,townworker(proletariat),peasant
(lumpenproletariat),theroleofmagicandmythascomplicitinsofarascathartic,(p56)butalsoas
activein(p243244)theupwardspringingtrendin,amongstotherthings,dancing,singingand
traditionalritesandceremoniesasindicatorsofculturalrebirth/renewalpriortoliberationstruggle.,the
tropeofsubstitutionthelastshallbefirstandthefirstshallbelast,p32hewantstotaketheirplace,
p39cfalsop44,p52,p53,p6061
5
TechnicalProblems
cfthesectionon inThisAfricatocome,Fanon, TowardstheAfricanRevolution ,
p187190.
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