In his philosophy, Gilles Deleuze seeks to propose a way of thinking being as becoming. It is important to keep in mind that the attempt to think the becoming is always made by us as human beings. As humans, we are part of the becoming of the world, yet at the same time we reflect upon it and tend to grasp it as an object. The human being is ζῷον λόγον ἔχον and therefore always already thinks and perceives through language. In 1969, Gilles Deleuze published The Logic of Sense, in which he outlines his distinctive philosophy of language.
The aim of the course is to introduce Deleuze’s philosophy of language and to show what happens when language attempts to express the becoming: what paradoxes arise when the event passes through language. A central focus of the course will be Deleuze’s concept of sense, which he sharply distinguishes from meaning in language.
The opening sessions will provide an introduction to Deleuze’s philosophy and explain its fundamental concepts, such as difference, event, virtuality and actuality, and the distinction between sense and meaning.
The subsequent sessions will be devoted to a systematic reading of The Logic of Sense. This book is not composed of chapters but of series. A series is a short textual segment whose sense emerges only through its resonance with other series; it is not a closed or self-contained chapter. Each session will focus on the reading of one series. While each series addresses a distinct central problem, it simultaneously develops that problem in a way that deepens and highlights the problems articulated in the other series. In this way, the book enables a gradual entry into Deleuze’s philosophy from multiple perspectives.
Each session will begin with an introduction to the relevant series, followed by a close reading of the text, during which one student reads aloud while another provides tentative interpretation.
Last update: Vinterová Lenka, Mgr. (08.01.2026)
In his philosophy, Gilles Deleuze seeks to propose a way of thinking being as becoming. It is important to keep in mind that the attempt to think the becoming is always made by us as human beings. As humans, we are part of the becoming of the world, yet at the same time we reflect upon it and tend to grasp it as an object. The human being is ζῷον λόγον ἔχον and therefore always already thinks and perceives through language. In 1969, Gilles Deleuze published The Logic of Sense, in which he outlines his distinctive philosophy of language.
The aim of the course is to introduce Deleuze’s philosophy of language and to show what happens when language attempts to express the becoming: what paradoxes arise when the event passes through language. A central focus of the course will be Deleuze’s concept of sense, which he sharply distinguishes from meaning in language.
The opening sessions will provide an introduction to Deleuze’s philosophy and explain its fundamental concepts, such as difference, event, virtuality and actuality, and the distinction between sense and meaning.
The subsequent sessions will be devoted to a systematic reading of The Logic of Sense. This book is not composed of chapters but of series. A series is a short textual segment whose sense emerges only through its resonance with other series; it is not a closed or self-contained chapter. Each session will focus on the reading of one series. While each series addresses a distinct central problem, it simultaneously develops that problem in a way that deepens and highlights the problems articulated in the other series. In this way, the book enables a gradual entry into Deleuze’s philosophy from multiple perspectives.
Each session will begin with an introduction to the relevant series, followed by a close reading of the text, during which one student reads aloud while another provides tentative interpretation.
