Maurizio Lazzarato
SIGNS AND MCHINES CAPIALIS A HE PROUCIO OF SUBJECIVIY
z Lzz
Tr J D Jr
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Dei y Hedi El Koli B: 90 6 Diiute y The T Pre abrie a a Londo Elnd rie in e Uted tates o meca
Introduction
. Production and the Production of Subjectivity
23
2. Signifying Semiologies and Asigniing Semiotics in Production
55
and in the Production of Subjectivity
3. Mixed Semiotics
5
Conflict and Sign Systems
3
5. "Scum and the Critique of Performatives
6
6. The Discursive and the Existential in the Production of Subjectivity
0
. Enunciation and Politics
225
Notes
25
lntroducion1
To say that desir is pr of inastructure oms own to saying that subjeivity prous reality. Subjeciviy is not ideological supersrutur At the time o Lennism, h ovrnment had to be oerturned the trade unions wre economiss raitors-powr had to go to the Soviets: short there ws d there ws soethng But here, really, there is no idea There's nothing at ll There's the idea o mroonoics o a certain number o ctors: unemploy n the arket, on al abstractions that hae nothing at all to do wth socal reli Flx Guattari, "Cris de prodution de subectiit, Semir o ril 3 1984
In a seminar 1984, Guattari argued that the crisis ecting the West since the early 1970s was more thn n economic or politica crisis, a crisis of subjectivity. How are we to understand Guattari's ? Germny nd Japan came out of the Second Word Wr com petey destroyed under long-term occupation both socily nd
pychologialy deimatd, th "no matial assts-o rw eals, no rse apit. What exlans the economc irae? They rebult a prodigous 'captal of subjctvty (ata i he rm of nowledge oeiv ntellnc, the wll to surve e.). Idd, y nvened ew te of subjctvty out of th dvio tsel£ Th Jaanee i prtcula, recovrd aspcts of teir ic sub jectvity, overig thm nto th most advanced r of soc d matri producton [ ]h latter rrsents a nd of ndus ral come r th roduction of subjctivt one enablng ultplcty of reatv procsss to mr, crtan of whch are howevr, higy ienatn2 Captal nchs (subjctv odls th w e uooe industry lauhes a nw line of cs3 Inded e er prje o catist oli consists n th ato of eooi eho local, and socal ows th the prduo o sujeivi su way that oltcl economy s dena w ujecive eono Guatars worng hpothss mu be reived d ppied o urre irues; d we u rt by kowedgig h eoieis ed o riue e reo ewee ee wo eooie. uatari rher obees capitiss piy reee d reove yei rie hrough apaues d seguard a i e o aer owig he Grat Dpreio. Tod e wees o piaism ie i the producton of ujeiv A oe quee yei ri d the crss i he productio of ubjeviy re riy ierlined I i iosble to seprae eooi poii d ocal rocesse o th roees o ubjevio ourrig wihn thm Wih eoiber deerritoralzato o new produion o ubjeivity ke pe. On the other hd neoliberis h deroyed previou oia reatons and heir rs of sujeivato
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(worker, communst, or socia-democrat subjecvaon or nationa subjectivity, bourgeois subjectivity, etc.). Nor does neoiberaism's promotion of the entrepreneurwith which Foucaut associates the ubjective mobiizaon maagemet reqres n a rms o ecoomic activer any kind o solution to the probem Quite te contray Capital has aways reqred a territory beyond te maret and the corporaion and a subeciy at is not that of te etrepreneur; r though the etrepreeur te bsiness, and te maket make up the econom ey also bre up socie Hence the ongstanding recose to precapitalist territories ad alues, to longestablished morls ad religios, nd to the r midabe modern subectivations of aosm racism, and scism ch to maintain the socia ties capitlsm conuly nder mies Today, the ubiuiy of etrepreeuril subectivation, maifest in the drie to transrm eery ididul into a bsiness, has resulted in a nmber of paradoxes The autoomy, ntiative, and subecive commiment demded of each of constitte new norms o employabl nd, therere, stricty sping, a heteronom At te sme tme, the njuncon imposed on the individua to act, take the ntiatve, and ndertake sks has ed to widespread depression, a du the resa to accept homogenzaon, and, na the mpoverishment of istence brought on by the indivdua "success of the enrepreneuria mode. For the majori of the popuaton, to become an economc subject ("human capital, "entrepreneu of the sef ) means no more han beng compeed to manage decning wages and income, precaiy, unemployment, and pover n the same way one woud mge a corporate baancesheet A he crisis wought by repeated cial debaces has worsened, capitaism has abandoned is rhetoric of the knoledge or inrmation sociey along with its
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dazzlng subjectvatons (ognitive workrs, "manpulators of ymols, cetiv slf-start d umnas). Th crss has bought dbt d ts mods of ubjection to th r n th gur of ndted Now that te os of walth r all tough hrd work cedit and nan hve povd mpty, th lass struggl as tud to e protton of ceditos and ownrs of "surtis In th prent cis, n ord the ow of prvat proprty to srt ts e tulaton of oducton and th "produton of subjtviy elis on dbt d the indbtd man Ovously we talkng bout ngatv subjton, t most obous ndcion hat ow of owdg, aton, nd mobl, ltough coninuly solted d oly to rprssv and rgrssv ubjtvton The dbted t onc gulty nd sponsbl r i lot mut te on hmelf e econom, ocal, and oc fue of te neolibe powe bloc excly tose e ted by te Stte d buiess onto sociey It i no longe e of innovtion cetivi owdge o ultur but of th "ght of ownrs of cpi wose exod onssts n th plundng th wlfr state we esing to y txs In ths way, th unvoty of th conpt of ducon bo onomc and sujtv) allows us to s that th nacil cii i not only aout onoms, t s also a rss of nolbel gov mntalty whos drv to turn vry ndivdul nto an owner, a usnss, and a sharholdr has msably run aground with th collaps of th Arian ral-stat markt Jaan s mlmat of th mpossblty of rsolvng he si altng th country sn th 1990s wthout a nw odl of sujtvty Lik vry otr ountry n th world, ap i now post-Fordst, yet mor thn any othr ounty t has had the atet dulty rplcng th Fodst "aptal of subjtviy fl
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emloe a ob r ife he ethics of work etc) that made it ric I is o eogh to iject astronomica sms into the economy; i is o eog o stabiize the bans weaken ad destabiize the o ake imoveish workers and so on i order to promote grow To new socia economic and oitica conditions subjec ii mst be made t correspond oe cognizn of ose codiios and ae to persist tem t is in tis sense that the Jaaese nancia and economic crisis is above a crisis in the government of beaor Economics and subjectiv go hand in and Te unions ad poitica parties on te le proide o soltions to these problems becase they too have no alteative subectities on oer The eope he working class abor prodcers and employment no onger have a hod o subjectivit no longer nction as vectors of subjectivation. Todas critic eories simiary f o account r the reation si eteen caitaism nd pocesses of subjectivation. oitive caitism te information socie and cutura capitism R cae e relaionship but do so a too reductive On the one hnd kowledge information and cutre are far om sucient to cover e mutipici of economies hat constitutes "producon On te other hand their sbjective avatars (coitive workers "manipu lators of smbos etc) f sho of te mupe modes of subjecon d oitica subjectivation at contribute to te "production of subjectivi Their caim to d a hegemonic paradigm r pr duction and the production of subjectiv is beied by the ct that the te of te cass strugge as the crisis has shown not being payed ot in te domains of knowledge information or cuture e these teories make sort shri of the reationship beteen production and the prodction of subjectivit ac u es Rcire and A Badiou neglect it compete For them one
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simply ha nohng to do with the other. Istead, hey aert the need to coneive a adial eparation betee "eoomic and "subjectivity, thereby developing an economisti oception of the economy ad an uttely politial o "idealist oeption of subjectivity Despite the rie of publi ad iate apaatuses the pro duction, adatation, ad ool of subjetiiy, aaatuses whoe authoritarianism ha oly itesied dui te isis, e must init with Guattai hat subjetiity still as o oud o meas subjectivatio "Thi is a majo isis A isis of what? my oio, it i a majo isi because e oblem that's at e i of eeyoe's tongue i the llowin: Sit, we'e ot to at least hae a elio, a idea! .. we at leae ee u the le is4 But wat doe the onept of the production of subjetiy entil Wat is meant by subjetiaon d, in prticulr, olitial ubjectivaio? I capitlism, te oduion of subjei oks i o ays thoug ht Deeuze ad Guattai aaauses dioit of soi ubjeio ad mahini enslaemet Socia subjetion equis us ith a subjetivity, assiig us a ideniy, a sex, a body, a profesion, a aioai d so o. I resose to e eed of the social diision of labor, it i is ay mucues ididuated subjects, eir cosciousess, eeseta ios, ad beaio ut e oduio of te idiiduated subjet i ouled a omletey dieret ocess ad omletely dieet old o subjetiy tt oeeds thoug desubjeiation Maii elaement dismanes the indiiduted subjet, cosioes, ad eesetaios, acting on boh e e-idiidu ad ua individua leels
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Among contemporary criticl theores (those of Badiou cogni tive capitaism Juith Butler Slajov Ziek cire etc.) it is largely a queson of subjectivi the subjec sbjectivaion and the disrbution of the sensible. But what they neect is how capitalism specicaly ncionsthat is through "machinic enslavemen These criticl theories seem to have los sight of wha Marx had to say abot the essentilly machinic nature of capitalism: "machinery appears as the most adequae rm of xed capital; and the latter in so far as capital be considered s being relaed to itse is the mos adequate rm of capital in general5 Such is even more the case today given that unlike in Mx's time machinsms have vaded our daily lives th now assist our ways ofspeng hering seeing writing and feeing by constutng what one migh constant socil capital Nowhere in their analyses do we encounter these technical and soal machines in which hums and nonhmans ncon ogee as componen pas in corporae welfarestate and media assemblages Rane and Badio have radicay elided them to geher. Thus mahnes and mahnc assemblages c be und everwhere exep n onempoay tical theory Now capalsm reeals a old ncsm e "hmast cynicism of assgnng s ndida ad peesablshed oles (worker consme nemploed man/woma aris ec in which individas are necessay aenaed ad e"dehumang cyncsm of incding s n a assemblage ha no longer dsn guishes beeen hma and nonhma sbe and obec or words and thngs hoghou s book we exne he derence ad com pemeay beeen appaases of"soa sbection and those of "mah enslavemen s a he pon of ntersecion tha
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th oducton of subjctvty ous We will tace catop o t modalts of subjcton and esveent, those wt wi we wll av to b n od to bg poess of sujetvato ide ndnt and autonomous of capiiss old o subjctvt is modalts of oducton and s o ie It s t ssntl to undestd that te subjctvty and subjctvatons catsm oducs e mant e "macn Not mal t "tcncl mn but th "soca macn, th "mamacn a Lws Mumd s t wc ncluds t tcncal macn a o of ts odus at a t condtons a ltcal and ste uu at a tm wn t oducton of subjctvt consttues e ost damntal of catlst concs? at t nsuets spei to t oducton of subjctvty suc tat ts ndusi d sei oducon b t Stat and th copoaon mt b wad? modl d wat modalts of oanizio us b ostutd subjcvaton ocss jois io d opois? In the 1980s, Mice Foucut nd Gui c owed dieen ps o ve te olusion tat te poduo of subjetivi nd e ostituo o e "eao to t s wee t so oto poitil quesios aabe o poig e w out o ipss wic we stil otiu to ude Ea t ow w eveed ew desio educbe o powe d kowedge eaos A e pow o sosoig nd esil aio Gui), te "atio to e s Fouult) divesi its doube sese o originating in d drawing oo ese eios Te subjeive is o, owee dpdet o Fo Fou, kig e "e o t se os st oit dos o psun e ide splendo o "bu i but e iquii ito e ov o " sis
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of existence" and a politics that corresponds to it. The problems of n other world" nd an other ife" rise togeter in a poliiclly egaged lfe whose precondition is a brek with established conven tio habi, nd vlues Nor does Guattari's aesthetic pradi cal r aesteticzaon of the soci and poil but rather r mking te rocton of subjectivity the centr practice ad conce of a e a o oiticl action nd orgaizing Sjectation processes nd their rms of orgation have as gie rise to crucia debates within the labor movement and hae occasioed politica ruptures and divisions beeen rerists revolutionaries" The histor of the labor moveent remins incomprehensible we rese to see the s of subjectivit (Guattari) in which he moement has egaged ' certin tpe of worker during the Pris Commune becme such a mutnt that the bourgeoisie had no choice but to exterminate h They liquidated te Pris Commune just s they did in a dierent time the Protestants on Saint Brthooes6 The Bosheks did not explicity of inventing a new kind of iitt sbjectivy which wold among other things respond to the ones defeat7 Eg processes of politi subjectivation by regrounding the micro-politicl" (Guatari) nd e micro-physica" (Fouult) dimensions of power does not dispense with the need to adess and recongure te acro-poicl sphere It either/or either oeone whoeer it i coe up with n thod r the poduction o ubjectivit whether Bohevi, Maoit or whatever; or the crii je eep on geing wore8
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n s way, Guatari not ony remained ai to M but to Lenin as we. O cose, e methods r he producon o subjec tivity that cme out o einism (he p, e concepion o e workng cass as vaguar, e "prossiona revouionary, etc) are no onger reevnt to crent cass composiions at Guaari retains om e Leninist experiment is the meoooy: e need to bre with "socia-emocracy, to construct toos r poitic inovaton ening to the ortiona modtes o subjevi Just as e poducton o subjectivi cannot be searated om economs, it cnnot be searated om poitis How mst we conceve o oitic subjecivaon? oiica subjevation entas a mutaton and a reconversion o subjectvty that aec istence It cannot ony be poitic in the sense that both Rre d Badiou give the term Subjective mutaton is not pmariy discursive; it does not primariy have to do wth kowedge, nrmation, or cte since it ecs the nuceus o non-scusiv nonknowedge, and non accuuraio ng at the her o subecvi Subjecve mutation is namentay an eistentia armation a apprehension o e se others, and the wor A it is on e basis o this non iscursive, eistenta, fecive ctlon at new anguges, new scouses, new nowee, n a new poiics roierate We wi rst exmine is quesion om a specic persecve the paadoic reaionsip at te iscursivethat is, what is actazed in anuae but aso ithin the saotemo coordinates o knowege, ce, nstuions, d e economymntins wih the non-discursive, s the ca ont o seroduction, se positioning, and exstentia armaton The same citica theories at negect the mahic specci o caitasm so robematze the reatonsh between the
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discursive and the existential. Indd, they assig a centl ol to the rmer that is to luag in th realm o plitics (Rcie), "production (cognitive caitlism, Paolo Virno) nd the costtton o e subject (Zizek and Butl). Structism may be ea ut lanuag which ns the structurist aram is sti ie n wel in hese theories To rs the imits o he new "logocenrism'' we wil have to take a step bacas returning to the criqes o structurlism n linuistics avanced in the 1960s and 70s by Guatti Deleue an Foucaut erent ways their critiques demot lnuae om the central ol it was made to lay in olitics and subjectivation processes lloing the linuistic turn in nlyic phiosohy d Lacanian ychonlysis hey set r a n smoc theory and a n thoy o nuciation better able to rgist ho signs ncton in ts rocsss and in the econom partclr, return to Gtris semoc thory hile armg that ach subjectivation procss mplis th oeraos o mxed sig symboc nd si smiotcs Guati consiers th latter as th operate in the econom science , machines h seciciy o caitism Wat role an ncion o derent sig sboic an asinii semioics have nnng nd onoing caitaist eter ritoriiation an reterritoiiation? And what is their relationshi with he subjecivaion rocess? Gattari Foucat o not stop at deposing the "imperiism olanuae over oher moes o exression an other rmaions o subjectii hie emhsin he strategic importc o feent semiocs r steering an conoing caitist ows and subjectivity prouion tey argu that i od to brin toether the condi tions uture and subjctiv conversion we mut moe bond bot nage and mo
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Further, they enact a rad divore (Gattar) between pragmatc lnguistcs and existtil pragmati between the emotc logc that produces mi and th agmatcs that produces exstence and poltca pt. In the act o enuncaton i me way a i very at o creaion), a power o se-posoi produco a ai to secrete one's own reerent emg a ower whh h itte to o with Saussurean seeh the Lacaia "ii o te pe maiv eec at o natic ioo A e o e-etaton sel-fatio -ositioig o oe kowlege tio dig te power ko ovdes the oiton wll oese o oiic sbjevatioiee o o jctvao tot ourt The rus ovn t oo o t se oe "otoa d pocess o invet b o "ei titoe d by a gzo o be Gt by creatng te lteity o " oth ie an "a o o (Foault. Hnce the recourse, not to cogtv gt natio mehods and paradi but to poltical, thia aestti apoache and pagmthe aeshec paragm o Guatti te aeshecs o exst o Fouault Ol a mutaion o subjecivit he rystallzaton o a new existn Guattar), gans conit can one aempt a new relatohi to economc, lngit thnical, socal and commu ncatol ows To rodce a ew dco nw knowlede a poli o mt tave n mable point a oit o abote o raive non-t non-knowled Ts te tatooic aity o coig oduton s t octio o kowlge y way of koeg Teories o cognitiv a ct aitli
1 gs d Mchs
and the information soce which are supposed to be theorie of innovation and creativity, fail precisely to conceive e process through which "creation and "innovaton' occur, r language, knoledge, inrmation, and culture are largely insucet to these ends. order r politica subecvan cc s necessly avese ens in which n sncains e suspended n e d f machinic ensaveens s n Srikes, srug es evos and ros conse ens pure w and ssensn o conoogca ie e neaaton of subjec ns an ominan sincans Iacuae, vrn sjecves no then ape ae ca oins, emer ences e egnnngs of sjecvan se acuazation and pean epend on a conscve pcess a mst tcuae e ean eeen "producn an sjecvaion in a ne ay B e e srugges, revs rs an srkes tha have sea and e gobe in resonse e voence of the criss suciet r instiuting a polical rupture wth captism? The lysis of the oviet Revoution, which returns like a rean in Deleuze d Guattri's work, oers cerain, even only rm, nsights which help undersand the limits of the crren political situation their work, te modes of subectivity produc tion e translated into politics Under capiasm, processes of poliical subectvation must both enter nd break om economic, socia and political ows The to operations are ndispensable: s om the hold machinic enslavements and socia subections maintin over subectivi and produce a rupture, which is lways at he same time an invenon and constuon of the sel£9 "Revolution erupts om hsory, that is, om economic, political, and social conditions while t simultaneousy eaves hese
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causes ad coditios behid by ceatig ew possibiities It deives d paadoxically does ot deive om histoy Viewed thou the les of post-May '68 stugles athe tha as a histoical ecostuco the "Leniist uptue is chacteied by the coexistece of dieet odes the ode of causes and the ode of desie (the istetial o-discusive dimesio) the ode of "pecoscios ivese' goveed by cases and ims ad e ode of "ucoscious evolutioay ivestets which have as thei use a uptue i causali the coditio opeig ew possibilitiess Such a opeg "pepaed by the subteea wok of cases aims and iteests only becomes � though somethig of aote ode by "a desie without im o cause 10 Revolutioay possibility lways be idetied by the impos sibili it mkes eal d by the ct that a pr eupts secetig othe systems of efeece at the vey place whee the wold was oce cose A i all ceatio whethe atistic scietc o social) the suspesio of the odiay couse of igs st of l aects subjectivi d its ms of expessio by ceatig the coditios ew subjectivatio This pocess must be poblemated 1 Athough the s of Leiist ogaiatio ae today eithe possible o desiabe the "bek with causalit the tu om the expected couse of thigs the impossible that becomes eal the ogaiatio ad metamophosis of subjectivitythese emai the buig questios of al evolutioay movemets nd even though one d must assign the objective ctors ] causal series that made such a ruture ossible the Bolshev grou ] becomes aware of the immediate ossi bility of a roletrin revolution that would not llow the anticiated casal order of the relations of rces 12
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od e o n t han of cue am an ner work te prn ci he ho re el a lakng re precel t ceriic of rvolutio aton: th "rupture wt u e pobilty of nvng a pol lk th of t "Len rupure t o more t llow he han of ue im an ere alray pl In orer o ak on onny order o nal mod of organaon n mamorpho ubjecv th rvoluonr ven n brek wh aual mu rrm th oal ecoom an polal onon om whch ar n w o th on of th Sae the medi reacion r and o o I e omplx of proce m r th momen o ap pol movme W hv n a prolferao of polal xper mon h appr then u a quickl bau hy ar ule o ta th mo of maropolic rprouble an gnrabl ubvaon For t p apl alo n "ubective mp whc rce o upend emor nd dop rm of uoin goveae cure c ow produce o eive d regreve ubjection e idebd m nd pim uble o rticu le poducio ad e produo of ubjeiv ohr t b reerg e ee o poe oer of cp e owere n e ed Gve h e eoreic ool we ed o evelop ere wll hopl prove u r onvg te codi tio of polcal ubtvo oe whh a te me ime xen mution thetc o palm whoe c red of or popoton he problem n th 1960 w overng the o bemo of e p d the uo w preeed poc nnovion blocked te emergece of new ubjec d new wy of
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conceiving and practicng politcs (mcropolitcs: young workers, minorites, the womes movement etc.) Today, wit the par gone and unions completely integrated into· capitalist logic macropolitical action and its rms of organization based on an irreducible mltiplicity of subjectivaton processes, are at the heart of our urgent underlyng question: "Wat is to be done?
2 I Sgs d Macls
Poduco ad he Poduco of Subjecvy:
Bwn Soc Sujcon n Mcnc Envmn
O the two denitions o a nucture gien by Ure and cited by M the st relates achines to the en who tend the while the second reates the achines and the en echnicl and intellectul organs to the nucture the body that engineers the ct the second denition is litera and onree - Gatri Chaoophy I is not achines that have created caitis but itis that reates achines and that is constntly introducing brs nd eavages through which it reoltionizs i technicl odes o roduction Giles Delee nd F Gatari -Oed
Soi Sbjeon d Mi Enslement Gattai and Deleze bring to lllent the discoveries of M and classicl politicl econo: the prodction of wealth depends on abstract nqlied, sbjective activit irredcible to the doain of either politic or lingistic representaton The
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podtion o wealh (and produon, perod) operaes a h inttion o wo heerogeneous power apparatsessoal ubjtion and mahn enslavemen Wha s alled eonom s th sblage o hs dal nvesmen o subjetv suh ha, s Gtti pus , one mus ener he eld o sbjeve eonom nd op onenrang onl on polal eonom, whh was inpbl o realzng he ll ramaons o s dsoveres B asinng s an ndvdal sbjev, an den, sex, poion, ntonl, and so rh, sol sbjeon podes nd ditibt plaes and roles whn and r he so divion o bo. Thogh lnguage reaes a sgnng and repnttonl wb o whih no one esapes Soal subjeon pod an "individtd sbj who paradgma rm n noliblism hs bn tht o "hman apit and he enrepren o the se£ Th st vat o indvdis, whh has mad th pson t nt nd ou o on, mged ith t nia iis di wh th injntion o beome "an apitl a been tns rmed nto he negtiv nd resiv ge o th indbtd Th divida i ti gi d rsponsb r i te pt tt tod is td to dbt ot dsibs t od o govenmentait o "bjt o st o d pod thslves as to in ti on intion h tt dointion iss o t bjt t eve seepoittion edominaion) The ok ad on tion d diviion ma/o pn id ta/dnt ad so on ae inveted it kodg ps, nd no t soioogia, pshoo aea, o diipinri oiit noage, and otivat th po dtion o iiid onsqnt linaed witi t oil d nded diviion o abo.
24 I S Mae
A M had redy rd social ubjection i proces by wich cai lation becom soied; te "cpitlit ct s "perod aial, tt i, as a on derived o cpit ow. Thus h tory worker is sonid lbor, nction derivd o viabl cail ows ad idvidual "peron r oci peron derived om absct quas But this is oly on of h ways in which cpitlis ct on ubjectivity tirey d oe nd n etirey dieren cpture o bjtivi-mahii nlveent coe to b uperiposed o te roduio of he individuted ubject o peron Unlik socia sbjio machinic enlveent occur vi deubjectivaion by mobiizig nction nd operationa, nonrepreentioa ad asigiing rter thn linguistic nd reprenttional smiois n acinic sam h idiidu i no onr intitutd a an "individud sbj oomi ubject (ha aia entreprenur o h sf) o iiz He is iead cosid a ga a og a ponent part i h bsiess ad "aial sysm assmblge, in th mda assembag d h wfa sa asmbag ad is oe sos (shoos hospis msms has isio I ) Esa is a opt ha Dz d Gaai borow exy om yb i nd si of aomao I mas h maam o governm of omos of a sysm A hoogi syste nlaves (gos o mags) iabs (mera eure, ce sd o ) sg h ohion d quilibrium of oig of h who Esam is h mode coo a gao (gom) of hic o socil achi h as a o bsiss o ommiaion yt t repas te "huma sa of ai mal sysms
Pr a Pruct Subjcti I 25
Egyptian Chinese etc) and is thus a mode of commnd regu laion and government "ssisted by technoogy and as such represets a feature specic to capitalism Deleuze desries precisely the pes of subjectivity over which ths du poer apparaus ercises contro Subjection produces nd sujes idiiduals hereas in enslaement "[i]ndividuls becomes diidua ad masses eome smples data markets or ban The diidual ios in enslavement in the same way as the "o-huma ompoet parts of technic machines orga o proedures senotics nd so on Subjection manufactures a sbjec in relation to an tera object a machine a communicatios apparatus money pubic serices etc) of which the subject mak u and with which he acts n sujection the individu works or communicates with another individuated subject by way of a objectmachine which nctions as the "means or mediation of his actions or use he "subject oject logi aordig to which soi subjection ctions is a "human oo human logi Mahii eslaeme o he oher hand does not bother with subje/oje ors/gs or aturecuture duisms e dividu does no sd opposie mahies or make use of an te object; he dul is contous ith macines ogether constitute a humasmachies apparatus wch humns nd machines re u recurrent nd erchangeabe parts of a producon communi ons consumption etc. process w ceeds them We no onger act nor een mak of something by act and use we undersd nctions of the subject nstead we constitute mere inputs nd outputs point ofonjunon or djun on e eonomic social or communication processes and goveed by ensavement
26 S a Mae
The subject/obje, huma/machine or ageninstrumet eltioship gives wy o a total coguio i which there is onvegece/assemblge of rces that do not spt ino "lvig d "de, subjectve nd objectve, but are variously "aimated (pysial ad sub-pysic rcs of matte hum n subhuman es of body ad n, machie rcs, the powe o signs, etc.). In eslvemet, relions amog agets ad sigs ineed exst, bt hey e no intesubetive, the agets are ot people, ad the seiois e no eesetatoal. Huma agets, e non-huma gens on s oins of conectio, jctio, ad dsjunctio of ows nd s he neors aig up the corporae, colective asseblge, he ounicatos system, ad so o. No only is he dvidua of piee i the machiic assemblage bu he is lso to to piee by i: he componet parts of sube (ieigene, es senstios, ogito, memor ysl are no loge unied in n I, hey no longe v n invi sube s eee Inelliene es sensions onion eory, ad phsic e e now components wose synesis no longe ies in e eson b in e aselge o poess (oo atos, ei li sees, eon, etc.). Enslveen oes no ok i "subecs nd "obes, i os on ei eeioazon (o ei decoaon), t is, wi he molel oonen, he noninividae inensive, sbmn potenlies o sbeivy, ad e nonivie, iesiv, molca oonen as and poeies o e n mines Science nss ae ino deode os; y goig om ocessing "es t molecles nd toms an on inosl inensig eeiolizton, i oiizes een he ei nd nea eee Mone nd ne e pey aale o deteoilizng (o eog) soial "mte, as e
Pduc and e Prducn Subecvy I 27
last thir yas o olibrlism hav show hy udrmi d circumv laws (i particular thos dali with labor) as wll as t cods o socil coomc ad politicl sbjcts stablishd with Fordism. Employs d thir istitutios mployrs ad i ctoris ad th Stat ad its wlr apparatus hav b suctd to dtioiiato procsss that hav radicly tras rmd m. Eslavm os i o os (abstract work ows moary ows si os o rd o th idi vidual ad huma suiy u o omous soil macisms (corporatos o isuus o ar stat ommuicaos syss Capi is o a m aiosi ao ol or is it ucil o isui aiosi as H Ardt suss o is o ou o mattr i hum ao A o ao xss u o costitutd by socil mas ssis y cl machis. Foucault's alysis o powr is cocd wit machiism s l h paoptco "is import mchasm r it automa ts d ddviduis powr Powr hs its pricipl ot so much i a prso s i a crtai cocrtd distributio o bodis surcs lihts s; i a arramt whos itl mcha isms produc t rlatio i which ty a cauht up [ .. ]hr is a machiry that surs issymmy suilibrium drc Cosutly it dos ot mattr who xrciss powr Ay idi vidul tak lmost at radom opra t machi3 A i Guattari d Dl t paoptico ctios i a diarammatic tat is o-rprstatioal way. It is a "diaram o a mchism o powr "a ur o politicl tcholoy that may ad must dtachd om ay spcic us (a "abstract
28 I S a Mace
machine" as Deleuze and Guattari put it) which is destined to spread throughout the social body."4 To say that the neoliberl economy is a subjective economy does not nen that it promses a new humnization" of e alienated subject through industri capitaism but ony tat subjectiv ests r the machine, that subjective components re nctons of enslavement. Subjections and subjectvations serve these socil and technic machines and every person's nctions and roles re assigned through them In capitalism power relaons are not personl as n udl societes (or in Rncire's dstributon of e sensible") tey issue om the orgnzation of achinsms.5 The ct that in the current economy one speks comuni cates ad expresses onesef does not bing us back to the lingustic to is logocism and the intersubjectiv of spekers; it indicative e o a mcie-cenc wold in wch one spes communicates and acs ssisd" y ll inds of mechanicl temodymic cybernetic and compute macins.
2 Hm/ne Ves Hmns/ne We d he dul presenc o subjecto nd eslavment i egoomis Hums-machines" i he pll sysems ms not be con sideed a me collection o human-machine" i e singla) okpaces sice they di i ntu om sject/oect umn/macie dyad" hms-mcines systems hre numrous mn and o-ma lemts ieact . ] e component ps of wok c epessd ems of inoma ion" But he the anopocic spec o the notion o
Prouo the Prouto o Sbjet I 29
inomation isaeas eonomics one no one ses o signl-ogim-spon, no doe one emlo the model o com mnition tho, in hih hang a lied beeen individtd sjets and lo "ppopit, lthogh imite, mtt-pto nlog egonom, one p oinut and otpt, hh hv nothng to do ith nthoomophism o mov om gonomi tms to th hiloophca concets tilatd Gtti, nlvmnt involv nithe subjects no ojt s h t "ontologial amigo ntities hybi, "ojetiviti/jetiviti, in ote os, "ubjectobject bi e entitis "Ojt, mahin, potools, dgms ahs an so a lo thi "ojtivit and om aabe o constitutin vto o"oto-jvao o on ootoenunciation hat mahins, ojts an sins o so means that they ue nabl ol promp enourage and prob eran ao oug and a or promoe oer Vey sinicanty oucaut uses the same vebs to esibe ho oe eations ntion Machines objects an sins at in ecisey the same ay n action uon an ation (oucault This must not be unestoo meel as a elation o one human ing ith anothe Non humans contibute jt as humans o to dning the ameok and conditions o tion One ala at ithin an assembae a ollective he mhines oject, and ign a t the same time aents I sbjection cll on onsciousn and the pentations o the subject machini nsavement ativt oth mch moe n much ess than consiosness an pnttion n oe ods much moe and mh lss than th pon, the ndiviua n intesubjectivi
30 I Si ad Maie
Machinic enslavement activates preperonal preoie and preerbal rces (perception, sense, ecs, desire) as well as upra peronal rces (machinic, lingistic, social, media, economic sstes, etc.), which, beond the subject and indiduated relations (intersubjecvi), multiply "possibiltes8 Here it is not a mater o ci socie or politica insittions, dependent on "idividuated subjecs, the person, the "rights o man, d cins Rather, enslavement is the mode in which science, economics, comunications netorks, and the were state c tion Guattari cs this domain, whose ("diagr atic) acities involve neither representation nor consciousness, machinic (or molecua) in order to disinguish it om the world o ndiduated subjects The rms o diagr atic {non-represetational) activi specic to machinic enslvement are heterogeneos to the represen tational actiities o the political system as well s to the representationa ncions o anguage Moecu or mchniche terms e sonmousidicate a dierence in kind and not in scae wih the moar dimension o individuated subjects, representaon, and consciousness The o domns fer in oher was as we Subjecion reers to the transcendence o modes into which sujeciiies must t and to which they mst conorm (man/woman, cpitist/worker, teacher/stdent, conser, user, etc), wheres ensaement instead reers to he mnence o he process as it unos, he becog ht noes he moecr, mchinic, nd suprainidu dimension o sujeci Capitism owes its ecc nd power to he ct that it jois to hterogeneous dimensions o subjectivithe molar and molec, indiidua and preindiidua, representationa and pre-representationa {or postrepresenttiona)
Podcon and Podcon o bjc 3
Te En Memne Te Fst Fom o Enslement mahini nsavmn i h nov th sr d h owr si to aitaism whih ois h mouar r-rsona and sura-rsona atitis o subjivi Th normous rodu i and ontiai o sin and o h aiis onomy, hav o do wih h naur o hs mahini assmbags Indd aiais mahini nsavmn is a rsurrio' o what Lis Mumrd as th myh o th mahin h arhai mga mahinth Et o th yramids For Duz and Guatari th ar marks th rs mgn o nsavmnt in whih human bings thmsvs ar onsiunt is o a mahin hy omos among thmsvs and wih othr thngs (as toos) undr h ontro and dirion o a highr uni9 Th arhai mgamahin is no rimariy thnoogia bu soia sin it is omosd o a mutitud o uniorm siaizd intrhanga ars rigorousy marshad oghr and oordi natd in a ross nray organizd and nray dird10 and o vry simp thnia mahins: h ram and th vr (h wh uy and srw had not yt bn invnd) Mumrd's mgahin is aong wih Simondon's hni objs and h iba mahins o h avant-gards (Duham) on o h thoris Duz and Guaari aroria in hir own hought n nds in Mmrd's work many o h mnts ha dr min h om onditions r hir on o h mahin human ows whos mhanizaion ong rdd h mha nizaion o human oos; h mahini hyum o th sim mahins' o assia mhanis (h rsu o rvious invnions and rais); sign ows ( ransaing sh into grahi rord no mry mad it ossib to ransmit imss and mssags
32 Si a Mae
throughout the sstem, but to accountabilt when wrten orders were not carred out")11 Ad ten ere is e incorprel imension f is universe f vls: e of ivine-rit ryay the sun clt n csic atsies lone can garatee e transrmatin of en into mecanical jects [ . . ] ssemblng ese objects n a acie. Te megachine als reqires the prction o sujectiviy a sb jecivity r e acine a subjecivity r enslaveent. Workers a minds f a ne rer mechaniclly conditine executing eac tas in strict oeience to instructions, innitely patient liiting their respnse t e word o command"12 B e ega achine n aiin necessitates subjectivations (the pries an reaucracy) at ensre respectvely, a reliable orgnizain f knowledge, naral an speatural; nd an elaborate strcure r givng orders crrying e ot, and llong the hrog.13 he bureaucracy an caste system are part o an ainistratin dened s a macinism rather t a structre Begiig in the steenth centur capitlsm, by reviving the egacine, prondly chnged the rms o enslavement It progressively reduced the number o reclctrnt and unreliable" hman operators nd mltiped the more reable mechanical, electronc, and chemical" ones 14 he hstory oneolberlism is mred by a generlized enslave ment" that is todas megamachne Its apparatuses go wel beyond the ctor whch is but one site o er ital aton N social and technc machnes have ten hold over behavior and at tudes not only in te worplace nd n labor gener but also dily le or most hum' actons (speng, communcatng, itng, g, etc), we re asssted" by a new generaton o machnes motorze machnes constuted the second ge o the
P a e P Sbe I 33
technicl machine, beetic and informaionl machines rm a third ge that reconstructs a genered regime of enslavement: recurrent and reersible 'humans-machines sysems replace the old nonecurrent nd nonreversible relaions of subjection beeen the o elements. the organic composition of capital, variable capitl denes a regme of subjection of the worker (humn surplus value), the principal mework ofwhich is te business or ctory But with automation comes a progressive increse in the poporion of con stat capitl; we en see a new kind of enslavement: at the same time the work reme changes, suplus value becomes machinic, d the mework pns to all of socie"15
Te Fnons o Sbjeon Capitalism is characterized by a dual regime of subjectivi subjec tioncentered on the subjecivty of the individul subjectnd enslavement, involvng a muliplici of humn ad nonhuman subjectivities ad proto-subjecivities Although heterogeneous, these two regimes or processes of subecivi e complement interdependent d contibute to e cioig of capilism Capitalism is ssenially a series f maciisms lugh he laers subjectivaions and personicaions ca never be reduced to mere copies mecically derived m e coniions of ese apparatuses On e conr, machinisms iml soci insumens r decisionmking mnagement, racion technocrac d bueaucrac wic cnot be deduced sim om the nctions of technical macies Subjecions no only generate the ersons of capitalist and worker but ls se at make e social machine run ma/woma ace/student, he bureaucrat and nctiona, etc)
34 I Sg hns
The soial sienc arose in order to ctate the producton of individuated subjet. Linuistis m h person the origin of enuciation, psyhoanalysis onstruts a famlial unonsciou r him ·(one "strutured lke a lanuae) which sere to equp h individul subjet with a representationa and personological unconsious In turn, eonomis endow he idiidua with a ratonlity that establishes him s a pron ee to choos and decid, while politial siene makes h h agent of inividual riht whih it is imperatie he transr to rpresentav in ordr to avoid a wr o l aainst all But it is prhaps propry rght hat r h most suess indidu appra of ubjcivaon. By diviing the assemblae into subjes and objct hy p e latr (naure, niml, mahines, objet ign tc.) o al rti of th capaity to at d produe, which hy ssin ony to indi idu ubjets whose prinipl haactri is bein an "oe (an ownr or non-oer) Propey is not only n appratus r eonomi appropriaion but aso r th cptu d poitaton of nonhan subjectities nd mahinic protoubjcvi y enrin tat reation nd podution r uiuy h at o "man it uses he "world, emptied o all soul a it own objet the strument of its atiities, as th an to it nd. Subjetion play essen role, beca it allows apitalism to tablish diernt molar hierarchis: a rt erarhy between m ( a speies) and nature and a eond hirhy iin ultur btween man (nder, whte, adt, et) and woman, hild, and so on. hese to hierarhies re he antednts ndmental to te more speiy eonomi hierrhies Subjetion imposes these hierhies by operatin at the terse ton o the mahn moleua d the ocil molr, by onerg
a th o v I 3
and reducing multiplicity to a series of dualisms (subject/object, nature/culture, individual/socie, owner/non-owne). This tnsla ton of machinic multiplicit into duisms not ony enables hierarczaton but also totization, of whch hostc Durkheiman theory consiutes the theoeticl prototpe. Reolutionary poitical action must also position itself beeen he moecr and he mo, alhough wi a completey dieent end in view First, tat of conveting the machnic mension into ms of subjectivaion that critique, recogre, d redistibute tese molr dualisms and the roles and nctions to which we are assigned wihin e division of labor Second, tat of taing enslavement's desubjectivation as an opporuni r producing somehing oter than paranoid, produc tivist, consumerist indiviualism Ts is how we avoid the false choice beteen being condeed to nction like one component part aong oters in he socil machiner and being condemned to become iividual subject, human capital (worker, consumer, use ebtor) "m Subjection works against tis possiblt by assrng the reter toialzaton nd recomposition of subjectve components eed by te acnic enslavement of he inividuated subject. he lae is bene wit guilt, fe, and pesonal sponsiblty. e concept of subjecon, althoug wit ipotnt vaatons, is a common tead in the philosophy and sociolog of te ast yeas. Howeve machinic enslavement is eleze and Guatais oig contibuton to ou understng o ow capitlsm wors eoies tat only account r socil subjecton wie otay neglectng acini enslavement (ancies an Badious, r example en up storting capitalis so much tat tey can hdy explain te pocesses of "political subjectivaion tat ae supposed
36 / Sgs es
to tke place. I one onsiders captlism only om the pnt of view of "subjection or the distribton o te sensile, ne lses the speicy f te rms o machnc desbjetivaton and hei dgaatic nioning Without ounting enslavements, one riss cnsing s Rire and Badio do, Geek democacy wit captls the wor of rtsans and slves wth the achnic wor f the "worers M with Plat.17 Even Fouclt's onet of vermentaliy can be mpved nd develped y omining scl subjectn ad achi enslaveent. To the storl owe exercsed on ndvduls one must dd aoter dierent te f pwe ad contol acing on divdus, exerised not y the State but by prvate enteprise In relty sce the erly wentieth centuy veentity s inceasnly ment the government f dvduals. Wth he rse of dvertisng in he 920s ad later the dvent of televsn, a ever well-orgnized machie has develoed o wih Ggle and Faeoo n e onsdeed the rowning aie ments The lter me immense dtbas wi ntion s maretng partses ey ger selet nd se miions o dta on or eaior rses readin ts voite ms tstes otes nd od reerenes as wel s the way we send o ee ime. e inormion onerns "divids wose proles composed o te onverene o dt re mere reys o ins and outpts in rodtionconsmion maces. "Diidals ve a sstic istence ontroled y apses whose operations er om te individuazation arried out y tor power wi is erised on "re indids Te gove mentty o diids mnged y ows netors and mines not oy plys rt in te niids reresentons and onsos evor bt in te desires eiefs nd sbrepresenttionl reaity
Prouco a he Prouco o Subcvy 3
of subjectivit. Governmentality is practiced at the junction of the individu and the dvidual, the individua as the dividua's subjectivation Enslavement does not operate through repression or ideolo employs modeling and moduating techiques hat bear on the "very spirit of ife and huan acivity takes over huan beings "&om he inside, on the preperonal (pre-cognitive and preerb) level, as we as "om the outside, on the upra-peronal leve, by assigning em certn modes of percepion and sensibil nd manuacturing an unconscious Machnic enslavement rmats the bsic nctioning of perceptive, sensor ective, cognv, nd ingusic behavior W are ths subject to a dual regime We are, on the one hand, enslaved t the machinc apparatuses of business, commcations, he wefre state, and nanc; on the oher hand, we re subjected to a stratication of power hat assigns us roles and soci and pduc iv ctions as srs, producers, television veers, and so on Subjecion and enslavement are nctions that can be assured b a single person or distributed among erent people Te he xample of a corporation: saaried employees are enslaved to he automatizaion o prcedurs machines, and the division of labor, ctioning t "inputs d ouus of the process But when a breakdown accidnt or a malncion occurs, he subject cion consciousness an representaions must be mobilzed in order to "rcover om te incident, explain it, and miigate its ects with a view to rturning he automatic ncons and enslavement procurs to their norm state Poitic action mt herere be understood in a n wa since it must operate against bo subjection d enslavement, resing te rmers injunction to inhabit certain places and ols in the
38 I S d Mae
soci distribuon of labor while consrucng, pblemaizing, and recogurng he machini assemblge, n other wor, a world and its possibiliies. Do machnisms open possibes and potenialies r eanipation or do they inelucably lead to carophe? Can one d new exstentia territores by combang enslavemens and e rrenly eterritorzed, technologzed presen? CPL AS A SEOC OPETOR OC D ASN EOTS
Capital is not only a lingisti t aso a "semioc operator The stinction is damental ease it stalishes at ows of sis, s m as labor ad money ows, are te ondions of poducon. From a semioic perspete, mani enslavemen nd soca subjection entl distint reimes o signs Social subecon mobilizes signiing semiotis, in partcular language, aimed at consciosness nd mobilies represenaons a vew to consttin iniiate sject (humn capitl) On the oer hand, mahini ensaement ncons based on asigg semioics (stok market inies, currency, mahemaical eqaions, diagrams, ompter languages, naonal and corporate aconing, etc which o not involve consiosness and representaons and do not ave he subjec as referent Signs and semo operate accordi to o heterogeneos and complemenry logcs. On he one hnd, as in macnc enslavement they produe operaons, induce acon, and onsite input and out put junon and dunon omponens of a socil or technological mahie On he oer hnd, s n socal sbeon, hey prode meaning, sigaions, interetaons, iscorse, and representa ions hrough lage Lngisi but also critical eories (Rcire,
Pu a e Pu Subjev 39
Virno, cogitive cpitlism, etc.) recognze ony the second ogic whle neglecng e rs, whch is secic o caiasm signing seocs ac on hgs They connec n organ, a system of percetion, an nteectua acv, nd so on, drec o a machne pocedues, d signs, bassing he represenaons of a subject (diagrmmac nctonng) They ay a vey specc roe n capiism since "essenay, caism deends on igng machines19 Sock mke indces, unemoymen satscs scienc dia grs and nctons, nd comuter nguages prodce neiher discouses nor nrraves (hese obviousy have he pace bu ong ensavements) he operae by putng to ork d mu pyng he oer of he roductve ssembage Asignng semiocs reman more or ess dependent on sig semiotics; y a he eve of he inrinsic nctons h ccumven nguage nd dominan soci signcaon. e Eopn Cent B rses he dscon rae by one ercen and ens of thousands of s go in smoke r ack of credt Re estae pces coapse, s n he cse of American srmes, nd thousands of hoseods e no onger abe o pay her morgages Socia Securi pos a decit nd mesues o reduce "soci spending are put in pace. Fows of asig signs ac drecy on maeri os-bond the divide beteen producion nd represenaonnd ncton eher h sign somethng r someone or not Mahemac equaons, comuer rogrms d drams drecy prcae in the ocess of generating hei objec, wheres n advertsing mage ony roides n exrsic reresentaon of i (hough hen i is roduce of sjeci20 Isead of referring o oher signs signng signs ac drecy on he rea, r exe n he wa that he signs of comper angage make a echncal machne ike he
40 Sgs d Mchs
computer nction that monetry sigs activate te economic machine tat te signs of a mathematica equation enter into te cotrcto of a bridge or n apartment building and so on. Sig achne not oly and ot imarly work at the lel of soca rrtations or in order to roduc meag They oe odes of ore abstract (deterritoriazd) mozao t hat of te sigg emiotics in te ecooc, cc ad tchc her Codered in tis wa sig ac orate "or ad "ext gcation producing a " iho meag, "operaoa se. Their operatio aac iofar a th bject, cocousness nd repreentato rm bacgrod The aiging semiotic of the coomy, of moey, aily crcumet aws conventions and titto The mot deter ritoriaizd, e money and nac, ar e mot rmidably eciet Wat matters to capitaism i cotrog the aigniing seotic aaraue (economc, centc tecnical stock-market tc) rough whic it ims to depoliticze ad depersonalie power relations Te trengt of asigg semiotics lies in te tat on e oe ad tey are rms ofautomatic auaton and mea urement nd on te oter had tey unite and make rmally eqivalent eterogeneous speres of etrical rce and power by integrating them into nd rationaiing tem r ecoomic accu mulaton. the economc crisis signiing cial rangs and stock market indices ave domnated deciding te life d deat of goernments impoing economic and social programs tat opress te goveed. Te sigg emiotcs of te mea, otica, and expert e mobizd in ordr to egtimate suot, d n e eye of idatd bect, their conscio nd reren tations, ct at "ere i o ateative
P a e P Sbevy I 4
Modeday nanciizaion is simpy an inensication of dexing and smboizing ysems ha enabe the evauation and contro of derenias in vaue in and between dieren domains. Mass consumption and the mass media consue other semioic sysems of evauaion21 d managemen ha enabe he inegration and "raionaon of derences in behaior opinion d ming in accordance wih economic ogic Signiing semioogies (anguage sories discourses) on the oher hd are used and expoied as echniques r conro and managemen of he deerrioriaizaion undermining esabished communiies socia reaions poiics and heir rmer modes of subjecivaion They are mean o mode rma adjus and recongure he subjecivaion process according o he "inividua subjec whose sysemaic ure has aways ead d continues o ead o he opposie of individuaism namey o he "coecivis of nationaism racism fascism Nism machinism d so on. The machinism of anguage is one of he mos imporan apparauses r reeioriizing he decoded ows of individuas peron and indiiduaed subjec Though i udimenary psy choo anguage eads us o beieve i he I in he I being in he I subance and i prjet hi beie in he Isubance ono hingshi is how i reate he concep of hing i he pace Language Niezsche argues enai a meaphyic of he ubjec and he objec a meaphysics a once anhopomorphic ad crudey ihiic I our ocieie ae no onger based on indiidua hey ae no baed on anguage eiher Whaever one migh ay abou he inguiic urn i i bu one semioics ong oher and by no mean he mos imporan r ensurig he deerrioriaied opera ion o hese megamachines.
42 I gs chs
The Cc f "Pc
I Dez and Gattari's rtun to and ene of te Mi con pt � "oduton subjecton and ensavemet dee, togte and through t deene and commentari th "econom n ong o cam. By bung the abor re cait a r suton: hous at wok (at a ven tsk) avaai (o the unem poyed o t "ee me of th teeson ver nd so on But n rea at capit uys is not oy te resnc of abo at e buess n te nstton or so nion nor e avaa e ee m o te unempoyd o teevsion vier Wat it buys s rst o th ght to oit a "om assmbg hat incude rog nsavement mods o tsotaion urb mods te mia t ntrime industes ways of prcivg and ig evr smioti systm23 Ensavemnt es pors of produon nommnsrat hose o emoment d um abo te aw o vue esented n Capta M stl ha an aropomorpic ad ropocnric vew o ducton 4 sic srpus vu ik abor tme is hum Oy th works abor s oduiv of srpus vau ees macins do notng moe tan tansmit vue that esuts om he abor time ncs sa the manuatue Attentve to te tremndous icrs in "onstat ed ata (of mahne) Deze ad uaari no duce concpt o mahn suus vue d macin im 25 Tse tmporates ae those o ensavmnt in whih subt ad obet ha ad non-human natura ad a bome iistnguishab Maciic tmoates mak u te tos essenti to catst duton. Unike human te and suus vue mahini teoates and supus vaue have the strking attrbute o bng nithe quntab no assgnae 6
Po a e Pouco ubjcv 3
An-Oedu enumrates dieret rm of urplusvalue pro ducion (huma surplu valu, acial urplu vue, machinic urplu vlu, or innovio/nowledge surplu valu) in t am wy A Toand Ptau dscibes a mulipliciy of capur mchnim of t m uplu value (rent, pro, ). Th hr rms of its producion coexis nd converg noly in h co nomic sphere (which alo ecompasses rms of producion h r ot specically ho of capitalit suplus valu). hi amp o accout r te ntur of capitalist exploiion oe no m o me ay more promiing han th move o tch hi mtipiciy o te uity of "nowldg and '�inovion cogniive cpitai teories endeavor o do27 Mtiplicity vryhr in cpiim in coomic productio, socil producion (of h nmploy h un, th uer, ec), in h production of mcomunicaion and in nace Ide i i nvr an inivu or vn group of ini viduls (irubjcivy) who work commica or pouc apitalism, one lways wors or prouces in and hrough cocv assemblage B the collective oe o oy conit of indivu n lements of huma subjecti o inues ojc, mchin protocols, huma and nonhuman mioic aect micro-oci ad preidividu relations, suprainivu relions and o rh I te same way, it is eer an inviu who nr n indiidual who creates idividual who d cree dos o withi a netor of institutios (schools, thar, mueum libraies, etc), tecnologies (boos, electoic netor, computer tc), ad sources of public and private ancing; an indivdu immersed in traditios of tought and aestetic practicesngufd in circulaion of sigs, ideas, ad tasstat rce im or hr o n n cr.
S a ahs
In private enterprise he emplyee must act and identi him sel s a prducer subjugated t machines that remain exeal t him but which he maes use. Yet it is neer e emplyee (indi viduated subjectivity r the simple cperative actins emplyees (intersubjectiviy that prduce The prducivity capital depends n the ne hand n the mbilizatin nd ssem blage rgns (the brin hads musces etc.} and human culties (memry perceptin cgnitin etc. and n the ther hand n the intellectul" d physicl permance macnes prtcls rganizatins sare r systems signs science nd s n. That is t say that prductiviy depends i lrge par n enslavement (and its diagrmmatic nctining which circumvents represen tatin cnsciusness and language in which it must be emphsized relatins are nt intersubjecive agents re nt persns and semii e nt by ny stretch slely signiing. ital therere des nt simply extrt n extensin labr time (the dierence beteen paid human time and human time spent at te okplace it initiates a prcess that explits the dierence beeen subjectin and enslavement. Fr subjecive subjectonthe scial alienan inherent t a pricu jb r any scial cton (wrker unemplyed teacher etc.is ways assigne mesurable the age apprpriate t nes psitin the sary apprpriate t a scia nctin the part machinic enslavement cnstituting actul prductin is neer ssignable nr quntiable as such machinic enslavement individual labr d prductin re nt prprtinl Prducin nt the munt time spent ding individl wrk We must distinguish beteen labr (he activity actuay crried ut d emplyment (a merely juridical status because the rmer exceeds the later ut we must ls distinguish
oduto ad h Produio o Sui 45
labor s a real acii and producion, which mobilizes a seies of humn and non-huan eleents. Production and productivity only partiay have to do wih employment (or even labor); they e above l a matter of the machinic assemblage, that is, the mobiization of he powers of machinism, communications, science, and e social, just as M resaw in the de28 However, in modernday capitism one must go rther stil, since it is never a corporation that produces, even considered om he perspective of machinic enslavemen I is current conga tion, capitaist production is nthing oher hn an ssemblage of assemblages, a process of pocesses, hat a network ofssemblages or pocesses (the cooration, he socil, the ctl, the tenologic, the political spheres, gender, pubic reaons, science, copon) each one traversing the other. Capital appropriates this unassignable, unmeasurable vaue by way of thee princip apparatuses captue: prot, rent, nd txes. The "usiness ssage extends, cobines with, and presup ses ther asseblages (national and paranational collective institutins the welare state, mass media systes, cutural insti tutins, eucationa systes, nance, consumption, etc), which nction by uniting and pushing to he extreme indiviua lizatin (subjection) and deindividualization (enslavement). We are subjugated to he television machine as a user and cnsuer, identing with progras, iages, nd naratives as a subject, with a subject's consciousness and representains On the other hand, we are enslaved insa as television viewers ae n longer consumers or users, nor even subjects wh suppsey mae it, but intrinsic component ieces that are n lnger cnnected t the machine in such a way as to uce or use it29
46 I Sg ad Mah
Wi enslavement, the component p of subjectiviy nc tion s inpu and ouputs of the television" assemblage, s so much
edba the mmee ewr f hred ddua tuted by eed ewer The reation beteen umn and non-hum elements is based on inteal, mutual communication, and no onger on usage or action.30 Polsters can measure the available brain time" spent in ont of the teevision but not what occurs during his time The production ofinformaon that results om the combination of the assembage of mage, sound, d representational ows of the individu and the component pts of subjectivi of the dividual neiter be ssigned nor measured om the economic point ofview while subjectiity is subjeced to a semioic mag wich ansrms and rmats it The werestate institutions that gove unemployment compel the unempoyed to act and to identi emselves s bene ciaries" of unempoyment insurance that is, as humn capital resposie r ter epoabt But at the sae time the unem poe re rce to cto s a smpe adjustment vriable of the abor mrket, s a exbe aaptabe part of the automatic" ctos of ob supp a emn O te one n, pstor conol nd coercion apparatuses, etcous atteng to te education, pojects, qulications, n eaior of te nemployed, rce em to institute themselves s suects On the other hand, he mret considers them deindi vidulized component prts assing is automatic selfregulaion Thus, unemploment insurance is the mesure of what the unem ployed 'persons availabli costs (the mesure of subjection), en what the employed produces with his mobili nd eibli on the job mket, what he produces as a consumer or insor s he
oduco ad h oduco o Sucvy / 7
makes he unemploymentinsurane mahine (as par of the feedbak of he "soial mahne the information he provides even despite hself e subjetve and objetve index he represets even despite himself) is unssignable and unmeasurable The individual is a subjet (human apital) in the nial system in yet anoter way A an "investordebtor he an be viewed as te very model of subjetivation: the promise he makes to reimburse his debt mens that memory nd ets (suh s guilt responsibiliy loyay trust et) must be reated to ensure the llment of the promise. But one redt has entered he nane mahine he beomes something else entirel a mere input of the nania assemblage. Indeed the redtdebt inorporated into the assemblage loses all referene to the subjet who ontrated he debt. Creditdebt is literally t to piees (in e same way the assemblage tears te subjet to piees) by the nanial mahine whih the subprime rsis has shown all too well It is no longer a matter of his or that iveset of s or that debt the nanial ssebae hs trsrmed he subet into a urreny that ats as "pit ito moey that generates money he ueployed he worker the televisio viewer the saver so o re subet not only to "pastora tehniques of ini viuliztio Foualt but to vertable ahes of subetvao esubetivtion Under apitalism the proesses of subeti vo esubetivaon are just as mahii as the produto of y oer k of industrial ommoiy e hpoees Delee and Guari adved in te 970s re in e s reevant today Subjeon soes labor even its eig hs mperepbly but undoubtey shed om the "labor of e worker to the "labor of te eeprene Se e 980s we hve moved om e"produve re of the workg lss
48 gns chn
to that of private enterprise in parculr becase of social demora One everyhere prises "the value of work wittingly mntning the ambiguit r by work we now men not only te activity one perfo�ms r a boss, but lso the "work on the self one must out in order to transrm oneself into "human capital. Wit enslavement on the other hand, labor is split in to directions: that of "intensive sulus labor which no longer has ything to do with labor but rather wi "a genered machinic enslavement, such that one may provide surplus value thout doig any work (children, the retired te unemployed, television vieers, etc.); and that of tensive labor which "has beome erratic ad oatig.31 In these circumstances, users (of nemploment insurance, tele ision publi and prvate services, etc.), like consumers tend to beome "employees "Consumer labor32 epitomizes a productivi tat no longer adheres o e "physico-socil denition of labor. Der and roduon
Fro e eonoic oit of ew subjection determines wages ad reees ic ae oy an idiret relations with "rel pro duco i oer ords wih achinic enslavement. Subetion diides e oaio eeen ose who re employed and those o re o eee ose o ave social rights d tose who do o beee "acie d "iaive poulations with no bsis i eooi eessi bese a ersos contribution to "produco' o aiic esaee) is eier assignable nor measurable Sjecio ios acording to binary segmantarities eoyet/eoye roducer/consumer men/women, ors rode/ orducve etc) whers enslavement
Prc a e Pc Sec I 49
ncions according to a exible segmentarity, which traverses subjectons ad ther binares. In machnc enslavement, the splt beeen employed/unemployed, insurance/welare, productive/ non-prodctve, no longer pertans From e pont o vew o "rl production, om te point o view o te assemblage or prcess, everyone "works, eeryone is productive (or "available, lke the unemployed), various rms "In a certain wa te housewie holds a job at home, te child at school, the consumer at te supermarket, te vewer ont o the television screen On the side o machinic enslavement, chil dren "work ont o e television; they work at the ycae center wth toys created to mprove ther prodctve perormance In a sense, is work s comparable to tat o apprentices at pro essional schools33 For Gattari, the notion o te workplace mst be expded to most nonsalaried actvities and the notion o private enterprise to the colletive apparatses o the welare state, the meda, and so on. Modeda caiais requires a new perspective order to accont r is sociaizaion its hold on te (spraindividal) soca34 as we as on at c s nanvdual suectv Since te osa s unons nd e have sed ephasis om "labor o wor Ts s le to usnes leaders and te State e :ndaena oitic oem o teatin the social Fou ca and socie an Oers nd caitlis vaoriation Recognzing e consequences o caita's socilization, Delee and Guattai ague r e univoci o te concet o produc ion I production ad e socia ovela en te ed o dese ad the eld o aor, e econo' and te roduction o su ecvy, aucue ad suestrucue can no longer e taen seaately Te question o roducton is inseaale o a o
I Sg Mce
esire Guttri) such tht oliticl economy is no more thn subjective econom" The rouction of subjectivi oes not refer then to n ieo logicl suerstructure; it rouces reity n seciclly economic reli It is in ct wht enes moe-y citlism in which
'r the e {r ad br {rdu mbe Contrry to Rncires n ious ng rouction is not mtter of economi" Nor is it liite to te cultivtion of kowlege clte etc s cognitive citlism clims Rther it ctures n loits something more roun n trnsversl to society on the whole: e rocess of singriztion n the rouc tion of new moes of subjectivtion whose bsis is esire The subjective essence of rouction escribe by clssicl economists Smith Ricro) n M cn no longer be conne solely to lbor" since tos citlism inclues e eicoolicl imension of work on the sel£" In Oedu Deleuze n Guttri vnce nmentlly new concet of esire ro rite to the new nture of econom wherein lbor" n work n the sel" ruction n subjectivtion coesce n esire serves to ene economy s the rouction of te ossible" Citlist eterritorition cts on esire such tht it is no longer hm rery seking but mchinic Desire is not the eresson of hm sbjectivity; it emerges om the ssemblge of hm n nnhm ws om multiici of socil n teccl mcies Deterritorilze esire hs noting t o with ries or cnts t is question nste of te ossible of the cretin of new tentities of the emergence of wht ers ossibl within te mewrk of citist omintion 35 Deterritoriie esire breks th concetions of citlism s mere rtinitin cction with the imge of its ctions s
Prouco a h rouco Sv I 1
med solly at the ccomplshment of n objtiv. It ubjtiv (nthroologil") model does not llow that o t alviit/ Wbea rra of desres nor he Freudn mol o thir rrsio Aotr ienson must be brouht nto play, o a wy rady resent but whch only tod oo' mak sient. Dtrritorlzed desire mchnic desir ar wth it a eonoy o obles" nd n utopoetic (l-rodutiv) ub jtvity i xplns he nure of mode-day aitalim a aov it rii. Cptsm cn no loner otai th withi t liit o rivate propery or he subjecv gur o t entr rur o t l£
The Falure f ua ptl T trgth o aitalism les it aili to itgrat dir a a ooy o oibilitis into it o nctioig i ordr to ro ot ad oliit a ujtiv gur: h eooic ut humn cpitl" or entrepreneur of h l£ Loon to ccount r ag, og aitlt ory rduces he producton o uctivi or t ujv oomy to the nolg oo to t iormatio coo ad to t novatio ooy ogtiv aital oe too uc t econoi a, i artiular, to t tory o ognou growt, c mak kolg t rivr o onomy Kowldg i l t i o oay aital a t ro ution ro o sutivty tr o rr o i vn knolg, informato, a ultural routio e. It i not a mattr o ogiv ujtvi ut o tiqu of por ubjction a nslavmt orag rrly to a ltilii o rms o ativity
I Si ad Mah
The cunt t om the t that th poducton of thi subjctve gu h fld Neolbealis h bn unbl to atulat oduton and the podution of ubjctvt. Nolbeim aims indcatel at the eono nd ubjcvt at lbo and the ethiopolitil wok on the l£ It duc th ltt to an injuntion to beome a knd of ennt nd ult ted enteise, whethe that of an IT secat, d, o a supeakt clk ut with the isi libeal ha ctd, th pose that wok on te self was uosed to o labo n t of ancpaton (leasue, a ense of ccoplhnt, ecogniton, pntation wh new of lf, uwad mobt, tc.) ha bn tand into the ptv to tk uon onelf th and cot whih neth bun no th tat e willing to p In the uent , th joit of the populaton wok on the self means no o than th enteeneul anagement of unemloment, debt, wg nd vnue uts, ductions soi ces, and ng t Folong the nanca debale of 2007 wch epoed te imossibilit of etng an conom of osibite within te lt of vate op citam hs gadual d itlf of it epc naatives based on eedom, innovation, eativit, te knowldg soiet, and o on The oation mut now one telf soll wih evehing ane, busines, and te welfae state tel onto soiet ad leve t at tat It i now cl that the autonom and dom tat ntepe neurl intatv w suosed to bing to wo intead e a uh geat dpndn not o on intitutions (buine, tate, nanc but lo on a desotic ueego (I am own boss, thee I am to ble evthng that haens to e
Prd and he Prd Se 53
Modeday catalsm nds the surlus t seeks less n knowledge than n the subjectve mlcaton t whch the mmateral worker must yeld n the same way s mgrt nd ctory workers, users of socal servces, and consumers, of whom rovde an enormous qunt of ee labor The semoc and dsclnary machng to wc subjectvtes are subjected s not rmarly cogntve cats does not need as many educated eole, as many cogntve worers as cogntve catsm beleves. The m of the catalst macne s to rnsh ndvduas w terns of conscous or "unconscous behavors tat comel te to sbmt to the "rtes o ssge and "ntato of te busness te welare state, the consumer and meda socety, and so on Catas olges ndvduas to ssume te "sueregos necessy r llng erarccal roles ad cons weter tose o te neloyed ctory workers, retrees consumers or cogn tve worers h he crss he seotc and dsclnary rmattng oerated by subjectons and enslavements converge n the roducton and reroducton of the credtor/debtor relatonsh Fllng these roles and nctons requres debt and ts subjectve teraton, the ndebted man
4 I Sg ad Mach
Signiying Semioogies nd Ainiying Semioic in roduction and in the roduction of Sueciviy
Mass poducion and he ms xrtti f th wht, conscious ad mal subjec always hv a tir corrlat th reining in of inensive mulipliciies which ty f crzt, eey sigg aboescence. -Flx Guaai Lis d
trrm the cc cr t te dmi t ecm cmt wt t wh f Wet rao wic kills t the am tm as the deam Oe t h ea beak wth mtahy y lacg lgag ryhe -JeanFr Lyota Dcour Fr
In mdeday captam ubjcivity i he pouc of o ide ma nduty F Guattai i i vn h imay n mo imptant f capitalt eect nce ubjcivi cniion an acpate th pductn f the commodi 1 Subjeciv a "ey cmmdt whe "natu concivd dvod an manutued n the ame way a an auombi ciciy wahng machne M than ecnmic o ica cii h c n which we have ben tuc inc he 190 pn
55
risis i th productio of sujetivity which n rdly explaid y tchical, coomi, or political procsses Sujctivity sujectvato, proesss of sujetivti ad sujcto ar all conepts that onsistetly appar iti thout si th 1960s (Fouult Rire, tc.) covrig dieret ad oe cotradictoy ideas. I this regard Flx Guattri, wo went rthr i th coeptl prolemtiato d cartogrpy o the feturs ad modiies of th producto of sujctivity, points to several pialls it is est to avoid First of all, the structuralist impass which redues suje tiviy to th mere result of sigiig oprtions "Wt te strturalists sy isn't tru it isnt the ts o lngge or vn ommunition tht gerate sujetivit At ertain level, it is olletively mnutured in t sme w s energ, eletiity or lumium2 he produio o sujeivity pts into pl somthing ve dierent om lingisti prrmn thologicl, ntsmi dmsios coomc asthei, d physi semio systems, xisttial trrtoris ad icorporel niverses, o wi e irrducil to a smiolo of laguge he coept o e sstane of xprssio must plurald in order to ring t t re te xtralgustc ohuma iologial, tehnologil asthtic and machc sustacs of xprssio Th scod pitfall coms om penomenology ad psycho aalysis whos cocpts rdce "te ts o sujctivity to drivs acts itrasujctiv apprtuses nd rlatios whih Guattari also ds as "itrsjetive drivl.3 chil (digital ommuicatioal mdi) nd soil machis mod lat ad rmat sujctivity y tig not oly withi mmoy ad snse ut also withi th unosios hs ohum,
6 S a Machs
machinic part o subjectiviy is irreducible to intra- and inter subjective relations. To avoid the hird, sociological pill, we must move away o methodological individuism and holism Processes o subjectivation or semiotizaion are not centered on individual agents or on collective (intersubjective) agens The production o subjecti is ndeed a colecve" process, yet the collecve both goes beyond the individual, in an trapersonal dimension (machinic, economic, social, technological systems), and precedes the person (preerbal intensiies wihin a system o aects and intensities) inally, there is the last fcly, which Guatari calls te com plex o inastructures": a material insrucure that generates an ideological supersructure (Marxism), an instinctu inastrucre tat generates the psyche (Freud) or deep syntactic and lingisic structures that produce linguisic (signed) content. We w look to avert these three stubling blocs while at the se time avoiding e pialls o structurlism.
1. The Remnts f Stm: Languae iou Se Structurism is dead, but what nde its adgmlngae is sill ver much alive Surprsiny, it is on qute el, even er the critical theories that ce ot o te maor teoreca innova tions o te 1960s and 70s cleed a a ot o strctualsm Here, hoever, language does not have e sstemic nd com binator netality o strucrlsm Cic toght hs adicly politicized lnuage yet witot ever ly givin on te logic accordng to hich language is unique to mn nd s te coer stone opolitics For Paolo Virno, politics must not be sought in the uses the speaker makes o it; language is intrinsically poliical
Sgfg Smoog Agfig Smoc ouco 7
ior a it ativity or ri i ralizd i t uli r Poli ti ad t oio o laguag ar litrally o ad t am or Rir, t logo otitut t maur ad vriatio o oliti ol riilquality Ev a ommad, r o to giv, ruo a miimum o quality, t quali ologo I ordr r uordiat to udrtad ad xut a ordr, t mut ar t am laguag a t ro o iu it Equality i i ti ay vrd i laguag Judit Butlr oidr all r ork a xtio o Haa Ardt armatio tat m om olitial ig a ig o laguag I t am vi, Giorgio Agam tali a trit rlatioi t laguag ad uma atur, au ma, uiquly amog livig tig, [ ] put [ ] e
aure at tae age"4 T mor or l itial, mor or l rolmati, rr ar rt o all Aritotl ad i told ditio o ma (Ma i oly nim to o laguag ad ma i a olitial mal), Haa Ardt, ad nlyti iloo or Vio ad Butlr, t lattr provid t tarng oit r a rpoliiizatio o laguag troug n aalyi o h rlatioi bn ord ad or Aordig to cal Mion o itad dra on h Grmn traditio, a udrgon a rgttig o th ciiy o laguag T crtiqu o aitlim ad a truly ubri polic o art mut b undd on mnity ol ra rc, t ol utoia r: h r o languag5 Today, Lac pyoanalyi, a aog o truturit tougt, m to b attrating diil Wit rudian tm itrprtd i trm o Sauuran lingitic (t Hgli matrla dialtic) t ujt bcom n t o
58 S n achies
lnguage and languge th sorce of the subject; h nonsious is sructred lik lagg and like a lgug i nions hrogh metaphor nd mtonymy. 6 The "chain of signirs hir oinator heir "autonom, their exteriority their existee prior to ll experience pduces both the signied and the sub jet he Hgelia-Laia rmation of the subject is fai aken up b Ziek and abeit with ertai revisios b Buter Athough she reses the "structurig role of the law of he ther Buter ha the siger act a a performave Lacai theor leadig to the same rss Laguage nctions s molr costrait s a transcendn a a "original ad rdil srvid that "precedes ad exeds h subject I an attempt o ov beyond the reduiv hypotheses nherited om Mrxis whih made language a suprsrur or ideologic arti Ranir rasrms language along wih ts into the vry origin of soity: "the 'social [ . ] is in onsti d by sris of disrsive ats ad recongons of a perceptive eld.7 anguage ad ets not o dee the object of the istrib tio of the sesibl aordig to acire (th the bourgeoisie cotoling speech d "educated meaig whie the poletariat emits on aima oise expresg itelf through "brut sense) ey aso constitute new prductive rces For m iends in cogi ive capitalism the ture of labor ad capita is given throuh _luage ad aect a wel Cogitive labor mob the latter d ogitive apitalism captue ad exploit em � way of uderg lanue ee ded acorig to ·i poc or pducve ctio seems to me a shap disrepan \ith the atur ad ctioig of subjectivit euciatio ad productio i moder-da capitaism. I all these theories ad
Sgfg Smoogi a Agfig Smot Poucto 9
despite their critical ims we remain in a "logocentric wod, whereas with capitasm we have r some time entered a "machne centric world that congures the nctins of language in a dierent way. In the macine-centric universe one moves om the question of te subject to that of subjectivity suc tat enunciation does not primarily refer to speakers and listenerste communicationa version of ndividuaismbut to "compl assemblges of individus bodies material and social machines semiotc mathematic and scienc machins, etc, which are the tue sources of enunciation8 The sn machnes o money _economcs, scence technology t n so on, ncton parallel or ineenently because they pro duce or convey meaning and n hs way bypass language snications and representation In the mid1960s Pier Paolo Pasolin described te hold capital's modes of semiotization have over anguage as the begin nin of a "posthuman world in whch the sites of linguistic creaon s t "production nd machinisms Given Itls lin guistic "backrdness tis process appeared in a particarly striking way n te linguistic spere te second industria revolu tion brought about the subsu f laguages f ures [ ] r the laages f supersures" t ad always been te case om Egyptin civilization to the rst industri revolution that "te linguistic models at dominate a society and me it linguistically unity are te models of the cutural superstruc tures nd of te intelectul elites in law literature education nd religion Ten suddeny wit te turn om capitaism to neo-capitism wic coincided wit te transrmation of te scientc srt into the inter apication of science t pro ucton, the lnguages o he instructures, let us say smply he
60 S ache
languages of production, giing soiy linguistically. It had nver happened bere"9 The languages of prodion-onspio' produce a kind of downrading of the word, o h ioon of the humanistic languages of the elites which hav n nil now the guiding languages"10 The centers ha ra dvelop and uni lanuae a lger the uert but thJ ri1 The interregional an international" laguag o th will be a signing" lan gag of a world unie by insy an hnocracy," that is, a comunication of men no longr n2 hs is exacy the opposi o wha on nds asserted by he eponnts of the lnuistic n: ysis is spposed only to e h lguae of inasrucs h sbornaion of hmanist" lngages, lanuage and signiing sios to he semioics of poion an consumpion Evn H Arend Th d d warns us that houg e abil o a o nw uprecednd prose" is still presn 3 it hs becom he priiege of the sciences whic hae been rced to adopt a language of mathematical sybols [ ] that in no way be translated back into speech" we adjust ou culural attitudes to the present stas of scienc achiement we wod in earnest adopt a way of le in which speech is no longer eaning," r scientiss moe in a wod where speech has lost its power"14 Arendt subty rmarks somehng her commentators hae failed to notice, namely tat the ose relationship betwen action and speech whch ocrs thout the itermeiary of things or mater15 blongs to a hman conditio whic has not been our oniion since at lst the rst industrial reoltion Pasoliis analyses whi show that it is not only the scienes that langage has lost its powr" are carred still rther in he
Sgg Smg d Agg Smtc Prduc 6
work of Guaari The laer spcis the naue and nction of the "languages of infrasruures in his most iportant ontributo to th question: signiing semiotics. o ma the "languages of instuures and mods of mchi-ctic subjetivation/uciation, one must ow utti's dvice to "et langu by doig o thins issocit subjctivity om the subjet, om t ndvidul, and vn om th m d cease onsiderin th power of enuniation xcluiv to m nd subjctviy tti s no reason to dy t quivalent of a subjci t quvt of "nonhu -it our oi (whc cs potosubjctvity) nd of a owr of uniaton (whic h cs potonuncition)with liin d mtal asseblag. H rtr tt w consider he ossibility o c oer than os o th nidutd subjcs onsions sns d language tt mit nion vcors of sujetvato or s cl pois of enunciton Guattari xtends e utopoitic ow t potti o s poduction, to machies It is po capb o deveopin its on s ad ods of expsio po ic Francisco Vara eervs soy r ivi mcs [A] cinic systms wateve domin ty beon ttcic biooica semiotic ocal abstct by thmsve suppo potosubjective poces ic I w cctiz i tm o moda subjvit o prti subjctivity 1 6 Modes o subjctivatio sembes of smiottion d citio o dsumn d o coectv o idcost biooic coomic ttc scitic d socia procese Gutris teory cptu t te o t cratv cton in cpitism Lnes suc v no piv i cto O te
62 gn nd Mches
contray, their nctioning " een slow down or prohibit any semiotic proliferation, and it oen remins r nonlinguistic com ponents to catle mutations and bre . . . ] the dominant linstic signications and to sere as heteogeneous vectors of subjectivation. "Genec codes troughot te history of life and iconic systems, like , roughout te history of hmanity, have been at least as rich [. . ] as linguistic systems.17 f one considers ll han and non-human reli as "expres sive, tat is, as soce, emergence, and detonator of processes of subjectivation and ennciaon, then reli preent in ou actions as mltiple possibilities, s "optional matter. Thought and choices ae ercised on te "economy of possibles; tey do not stat wit man nd do not rely exclusively on "a sing discourse poduced beteen speakers nd listeners. The history of evolution teaches s tat if te "eedo of possible choices is at "hier antropo oicl stages, tey mst e presupposed and un eqlly at the most "elementa levels of te living beg and mater. Sbjectivi craon n enunciaion are the rults of n assemblage of humn, inahn an exahman ctors in which sig, cognitive sioc consut u one of e constituent prts. Guatri is not one in aroaching subjectivi nd enuncia tion om h oint of iew of hings themselves rather tan tat of the sujct h consciosness d representaon We can n t se em og in ve ierent terms in Bnjain, Psolini or Keerer Bt we bere teir teorical rmla ion, the new acins of instril production, cinema an realed a mtorhosis of h suject, oject, and heir mos of exression The cines innon isclosed a reality exress wiout reprsentaion or linisc eiation It was no longer necess to
gnng eiologies and Anfn Sem n roduction 63
trace signs nd ymbol order show a objc in, or rela ton. Reliy ined by itel£ In art, a radical ruptue occred at the ginnin of the centuy when ready-md, llowin cinem's xaple, inied by wy o the bject itse unasited by the i r laae. Properly pin, readydes re no longer repreentation bt "preentatns Dchap Bol c or Fouta are objecs masprodced by indtril achni, prodcd by a new powrrather ta that of hoo Jb, the power machnic ssmle, whch aemble in, material, ad labor ows Addesing hs rm of capitt prodction, Marx evoked lobl, non-qualied bjec tivity mast itelf in ay object whatoever. Gutri explodes "Marxt thropomopm and is mode of exprssin y phg the deterritoralzation of bjectvity to te exte That bject ht tart "speakin, tart "xpressg hm elves (r tart dacin, they d in he cred passag &m b ook Cpt), s ps fss f f mans linion t rhr marks a nw regim f pressin which rquires a n semiis This is nt impy a rvrs he sujcs cvi maisting is s he aa o h revr ne nd n sn c n is head his is an irrrsi procs hat shis he qein he suc to tht suci nd &om humn suectivi t machic ilgica sia shic c psucviis he run t "humnim whaer it my me is in ny case nithr pssie nr desia Guri dp he phsphicl prgram Captalm ad Shzphrea in the rm f smiics and he prucin sucii he pin is lave ehind the subjct/ duism imps n muipiciis which are niher sucs nr cs y inciing nur nd cuur alng n indeermina cnnuum
6 gs ad Mach
From tis point of view, the lgust Louis Hjelslv's work of the late 1960s nd ly 970s o categores of xpresion d cotet povd ndmntl. I jemslev, howev the pi xpresso/ cotnt mains pisoer to the Saussurn opposition betwee signie nd signie, whereas r Guatri ression dos ot r to th signi or language but to a collctive semotic mchie prsting bot ( collectve assemblage o nunciation ecompsing dvers nd htrogeeous substaces of human and on-umn expressio) Likewise, contet oes not ref to te sged but to a socl mchin that reests t a machinic smbage o acion and psion w cn y o meas reduce to t conomc, soca, or polticl sps) The double artculaton of xpresso d contet is not spcc poperty o language; the atter reresets oly oe nctionl modlity o the organc, oogc, soca, aesthetc, tc., stt o rey The enlargd coceto o ths to reatosh ows us to avo the pals of Masm structurasm, ecae resso ad contnt, oe resuposng ad reversig the other reciproca, mintin o causa reatoshi. Expresso does ot epend o contnt Marsm, or s contet the prouct o eresso (lingstc structursm) Subjectvt s nether the resut o i guistic or coucato exresson or the ouct o eeer sococooc cotets. In a meta methoologc sh, Guattar asks us t gras the subjecoject eation an the epression/cotent relato " the me, to reground ad robematze the "exresse instace, that s, the enucato I ths wa, he ays the ass a w pragmacs, a ew theory of euncato, i whch, para oxic t rou of euciation s estea, ot dscursve. 18
igifig mgies a Aigfg eics 6
2 Sig mologies e begnnng of ambl of nuion e nd nee vb no ubjec em nor y : nad ee ae compo nen of emoaon ujvon concenaon dagaim and ab mhm - Guaa Th Machc Ucoco
A of reven h eqv of nohr (ny ohr ); hehy ong g ual P Polo Poln }rca Empcm
Th tnt of cptm t acuaton of proc of oc ubjcton and macnc nvmnt a w n t ct of pctv nn nd nn motc Both ppau py ndamnta ro conton poc of cptt dtrtorzaton and rtrtoraon, r thy nb t djtmnt, modcaton, otton, amb, n tbaon of poc of dbjctvton bjcvaton. nmnt nton btn nng oo an motc h to o th t nt way n whch ty ncon nd tr vy dnt ct on bjctvy W w xamn thm praty n od to cdt t dtncton on wc no wy nvov mxd motc Int ofmakn ang th t r h vton of qua nt of conn t mpct potc bc mnftton of t pbcty of cton o, vn, of makn t a nw produtv c, Guata propo to "xt an and dvop a moc o byond hmn motc In a captm oand aond nd undd on g motc (Paon' "na of
66 Sg Mh
intructures) angag i ony "one pticur but in no wa priviged exmp of t nctionin of ener semioic. Th gener mioc ut account r b si speech ad th mache of ethtic, tecica-cienic biic nd ocia ig Guatti diinguih ong ierent pes f seiocs situatd beyond te aur ad hirachiztion of um ngag: natur mioic ncoding (cystine systems nd DNA, r examp sng semoes ncuin smbic (or prig, ges, riua, prodctiv coror musi etc) semoogis nd iogies of ignication, and, ny n (r posti smocs Thi rprent Guattari' most impnt contrion to our undertanding of capiti and te poducion of sujcv In "natra amiotic ncodings expression is not a ato noous tratm with rgard to content n rock in a crta sctur, th r i convd the "mteria i c that epresion and contnt ar inhrnt to ech othr Tr i no dierentiating twn a inra, chmic, or nucr rum d a smioic tratum ornized int n utonoo t Te paration te utonmizaion, of reion egin to deveop with th merence f f Wih ant ad "r' is tranittd trou code ht create co oecue d rroduciv ytm f sc whch g t atonoe d t part o tc With uma ehavor, ig oogi, and igg miois trmion no ongr dnd on gnec cod bt on arnin mori aguag, o, diagr, grahs, eqa ion, ad o on in ohr word, on moc ctionng according t a tonomo nt and trat of xreion In moogi of igniction, nie natra ncodg, rsion and content maitain a rationship of trtaon, rfrenc, d cation
Sf Smolo d Af Smo oduo I 67
e Polcal Funcons of Semolos of Sncaon Despit the spcic atntion pad t ymblic nd aigniing semiotics whih li ousi of lanuae, Gaai h l u with ve prcie pictur o hw lnguae nctions within cpitalim. Th sabihmn of lnguae an of a sstm of ominnt sinictions i alws rt of ll a politcal oprtion er it i lnitic or smtc n A certn tp of lngg an crtin mode of inivit miotizaton n jctivaton ncs in order to tailze th cial el isrpt b cpitalit eterritoriton, trritorialtin which nrmins pro sjctivitis, rms f if, an institutions Stbzton ntal th prominance of nationl langug, caring with it t l n mo of ctionng of incpint cpitalism ovr lc, cp tionl lngg, an moes of infnt, "pathologica, n rtstic xprsion. h ntional lngag redc thm to mrgnt brining thm r th cot of oinnt nt, mntic, and pramas e nsun f usc ane n dsn and ni duaed speers is, on h ne hd, niv h the onstun f enomc hnge, is raton ent, n o he juida n a and i ona pes On he othr h, it is ceniv wh pshc nsanes he se (isuprgo) n he her. Capitast rmans have rcr to prticlr p of igning semc mache whch, ovrcing l th othr miotic, lows onmc prduin wll th prodction of bjctivit o be adminisered, ui, jutd, nd controll B xrciing por ovr mbolic miotic, th miotic of ignic tion ction a oth gnrl qvalnt of exprsion nd vctor ofjectvtion cntere on th indiviul
68 gs ad ae
Thoughout Guattari's work we encoutr the comparison with symboi (pr-signg) semotics suh as they ton i prim tive socities. This aows us to grasp the suddn hag as we as th ovlty th "imperialism nd despotsm olanguag rprsents First o al, capitalism rquires that symboli smiotis (whther gestural, ritual, prductive, orporal, musica, t) b hrarchized ad subordinatd to lnguag Uli laguage, tey "do not involv a distingishble speker an harr Words o not play a major part, sin the messe is cd not via linguisti hains, but via bois, sons, miicry, postur an so on19 Sine symboli smiotis ae trsiionl, polyvoa, animisti, an trnsindividual, thy e not sily ssind to individuatd . subJes, to prsons ("I, "you. In our apitalist soitis here is stll hs trasindiviual mo o tioning but it is one to minl rms o xpression: mnss, inany, artisti rtion, n cretion peod, as wll as amorous or politil passion Symboi smologies and the semiology o sigcation anot b istingshd by th sata o expression they put in pla S boi semologis tion aording to a multiplicity ("n) o stata or substanes o prssion (gestura, ritua, productiv, corporea, musia, et), whrs smiologis o signiation bring togter ony two strata (sigr/sigd) I prmitiv soiees, frnt seiotc strata (artisti, reigiou, lnc, conomi, oor, music, ad so on) do not enter into pndent or hierhizd reaon wit ch othr Speh intera directly wt othr rms o exprssion (riua, gstura, musi, produtiv, et) instad o constung a hger modali o it Eah stratum o rssion onsrvs its spec consisten d autonom The translatabili o rnt smioti strata is not
Sigifig Smioogi ad Aigifg Smoi oduio 69
ccoplihe thoh liztio o expin {h ign) tht ovepowe othe eotic bt thgh oi blg (tibe city) which o the cot pld h e ece o ile iii btce o iiing ynhi o yte tht hiechize bote oth m o xpeio lngug I pitim n he he hnd th nnb pein epnd n nguge h ig o ciy n inepd iely by h uge ut the e i n Lnguge i thee inpng ociy20 I hi wy Emi Bnni cne h upiiy nge the eii ytm It ed Gti em: On oght e bli mii ependn n linguii emiooie o h pen h hy d no be di pheed undetood o nd wihu cu ngug Bu wht de tht pove? W wudn y h bu pl to o o th US up h he two continen depnd on itio1 Gnlid xche i ot p o the ecoic ph ne Th opin qntcto n xche o ecooic vu i iicton ht em ivit i im n p nbig enel tltbility o eiotic in inguii tnd Deteii vle eqe the ttuin o ninl ngg tht opete the copin i nbility ngue locl lect In ei wo nd etece hve o ee except within pil eciin pecc ytx locl piic ii. ve y y oe o p thugh muipiiy hteoeeo ng ngug w p u miie w wih i wih Gd wih u upei d n Lgug h ntin n equiln h din
0 Si d Machi
miti, whih xp pw li ad lal htgu di. Ulik th iilizd mblag pimitiv iti pitlim m lz h hmiati, uimat, ad iti di humn ad huma xpiv mi: lngug i gu, th lnguag thig (ubim, mmd pi ) mii mut b m patibl with nd dp h mt pil pilly th hvig t d wih h lb dividul m bih ubjd t mii pig; iiiai i mii i h vy t lb" mplihd. Guati mp i h wk n indu Th chld not only lerns to spek a native lguge; he lso lerns th codes r wlkng down te street, a ert ind f cm raonship to manes, eletriity, et. a irt cdes have to be made t of h cia cd f r. i pct f r xcha amo mitic i sstia t th caitalit cm h iitiati t capit ae lti hi mi iiiati t i code f trnatailit d t e orig iiat tem22
h mii amly li t ly pdu kwldg d imi but l attitud, tt bhavi, ad u mii hiahi. O mut v diiat th wk miti gig it pil dvlpmt m th wk mdli d adaptig wk t pw lati 23 T uiu upgiti ivtmt i pial l, th ap ativ a pibl udii i impt a taiig knwldg ad lai kill O
gnn Semles and Ann Semics n Prdctn 1
nevr xists wihout te ohr; he latte is, morovr, ctivtd only onc th rmer is assurd. Rnc Scaon Rpsntaton
Th stablishent of invrint signiations, of rlions of quiva lnce and stable tansltiliy aong semioics, which sr s bases to the podution of subjetivity is accomplishd by r alize sign-ahin coodinating what Guttri clls th seioti tiangl: "rrnc signiation prsntion Dnot tion instituts a iuivoc �lationship betwn sign nd he thing esintd (t rfeential ntion), whrs solic semioics his rltion is oating vague uncrtin, "unsur of itsl£ In crtin "uncivilized languages a mr si in ccnt is ht is ndd to ange not only the mening but lso th word. Th siiing expession loses the polyoality and ut rfrntiliy t possesses in syboli seiologies oe to esignate in clusiv nd uivocl wa B joinin h sign to its rfrnt efeene notes a elity that coms h "sol d "unu' ea te oant lity whrs in primiiv socities eates ae utiple Each seiotc systm (rliious, socil, agic animal anisti) expesses a htrognous world wose composition is antaine by te socil ssmblage of he gup Th rdution of polyvalene an tiefeentiality te neutalization of the heteogeneous mixe vague ssymetic spei to symboli seiotis an the pia of te pue the invaiant an the spealizeall this is eptoie te ate atial theoy of ination The invaiac of te nfomation to e tansitted is peisly te onen Th stndrdization of
2 S d ach
angug imne muc pib e ineniie nd ec n unvcy ignbe wic bing unbe enure be dntion and meing reen ncin n eir wn In nocapiim (Pin) i proc f rinzn nd ipvrihmn f exprein ubequnty deveop rer tchnoogic principe f can f communiciv xcn of mecnic cieniciy of ciency24 wrk on nguag om e nide. Fr Pni th prncipe cniut a raum that i n mpy dded hr trata htricy rgi ered n nguag (e Ln ru h humit trum tc he at igniing rum evve toward th ignatic ciency of appid cience cme to ovrpowr or rndrng thm hmgu wi e nd d nciti of an gug of productin/cnumpn. In ordr to nurize pyvcy and midimnionty f prion to rduce vguene and unctnty ignction r dircy ncodd by inguiic man that intrc h yn gmic x f selecon f th ignng uni of anguge n cnfrmy w grmatic ordr and pagmatic i of comoson o sentences d scance according o a mnc ordr uc mening becom umic Th intrection of th o xe de nt cnitt a unva md of pion but rathr veribe mcin r rucung mappng and etabihing mening In prmitve cieie "One bo intrpr othr ymbo wich i itf inerpreed by ird and o on wiout h proc nding in a n ignier w n woud b dimntd r mp in a dcinry nd wiout h qunc comping o rpect a grammicy dermn rigrou ru of yntag mic concanaion.25
Sfig eioogies ad sigiig Seotis i 3
It is onl with te denitive instllation of capitalism in the nineteenth centu that one sees rml imposed the absolute stabilit of the sinied, under the proliferation of the relations of desination [ . ] in order t round the comparison of rms26 In capitalism, rammar and snt nction as the police of lanuae ' rule of rammar is a power marer bere it is a sntactical marer"27 Mode overnment of behavior entails that the sinications denin the nctions and of our actions (man, woman, worer, boss, etc., determinin our roles thin the social division of labor, are solidl establised and leave s little room as possible r interpretation and ispute Wit te ird term of te semiotic trianlerepresentation the wod is split into a ment or smbolic word (a world of imaes, representaton icons, smbols and a rel, denoted" world e sin does not irec refer to reat it is no loner drec connected to a referent Now, in order to be semioticall ecient, the sin must pass throuh the mediation of the smbolic order, it must pass throuh the si macne In ts wa, representation mes sins poweess" insofar as the do not act rectl and pramatical on the real" To be trans rmed, the must pss trouh the mediation of consciousness, representation, and the subject28 The comparison with primitive societies hihihts te sepation eected in capitalism beteen production and representaton, beteen the sinier d the rel. For primitive peoples," ows of sins constitute a reali in the se wa as material ows here is no separaon beteen semiotic production and materil production because sins continue in the real nd vice versa.
4 Sg d Me
Primitives r realists, not mytic. The imagiry nd ymbolic e real r is no otheorld. Eveg s into evey thing ls re i no epaation-brea. The Baaa doe not tt etorize, index It dance and its sk ae in, a total sig at i simultaneouly repreentation and poduction. [ ] It sn't watch epreentation impotently. It i ite collec il te pectacle, the pectator, the cene, the do, etc. It i rsrmed thouh expreion. [ . . ] Thi i a sin touch with rality. Or a in such that there i no brea beteen reality and imainay. . . mediated by a ybolic No break beteen eue, peech, witin, music dce, wa, men, the od, the exe, etc.29
n h smiti tiangle eveything cms logcl nd rml. Signiatins seem t have been scrd mmnly hrugh the syntatial stutures f languag sl. The dint sigatins (iden s prfessin nanli etc.) m whch s dult t esape (individually thugh madnss in alhl d ratin lve r clltivly trugh plitial atin) ae pdued at t intrsectin f a tld rmalizatin pess that f th linguisti machin whih autmates ths expessins inteprtatins and respnses impsed by th system and that f the matin f pws p duing signids Ss I coe it r erig long n: i itself it s otig bt if I oig it to so tat I trsst tre is rl; t i sy a cornc f clrg ig cssocks is tkig lc it i qit drt ing. I a tal si it col ntrreted
Sf Seml� ad f Sem Pd I 7
dtly ag: "H' t t wll tdaywag a d aga I th wd a a t wa a gw a thg f h a dg a t ath f h a lat yt ath f h a tavtt Sgat aabl tag w 30
Structralism confers uni and autonomy on sigg semiotics thee were su a g s lange in iel cpable of secreting mening according to deep syntactica structures nd signication, whereas "Language is eeryhere, but it does not have any domain of its own. ere s no language �n tse What species humn language is pecisely that it neer rers back t itse that it always remains open to the other modes of semiotization31 The closure ad rmlization of laguage e political mecha nisms, because "ytg that fails to be caught in the neutrization f non-lingistic components conserves te possibili of te system intensity's going t control32 The clsue of semiotics of signicatin witin a world of "pe signicce, what Guattari denes s te impotentzation the sign is what ·mkes it very dict stcturalism and naytic phisphy t pblematize the pgmatics nd "eistential ctin expessin I scieties, epession mst ways e accmpised via denotatins tat establish and ecgnize ny ne eity te domi nant eitytough meaing tat inivcy estaishes te relatinship eteen e sign nd its eeent nd tgh te mental nd imptented world of epesentatin separatng the sign om the re Expession tus cicmscied nd rmed cntibutes to the pdctin of a new sbjectivi In primitive scieties the refeent smlic semioti is te gp, te colecve ssemblage, the commnty With semilgies o sigcation, the eent is the
6 Ss and ache
inviduated subjct (d its doubl h trcendenta ubjct), the empy subect wihrwn into hml cut o om t m blges and octio that otitut him ivin s e utonoous ourc of his ao d uciations. Individulizo i stabishd d ootd anguage tough what Guattari c "personoloizo Th nomizin powe of nuae i i "listi Oedplztion wose obeive on ists in rmlizig he subetivon of statemen aodin to an abstat codg of the I-you-h pe wi 'povides te speakers with hrd ytem of peson rfenes33 Th ubjct of enuniaton ( composite subevi in esh nd bood rih mutipiity of os in modes of peepton and nowdg) who says I te himef away om te ob ived extl dmension of the mble mees wth e subect of ur (") with te "soci l m tat peedes and d hm By moldn ilf to ube of te utene I) te cocv assembae of uciao ubmits to the indiiduizn inus mch The atte n un overodes semiot systems and the drnt xprsive modaities of subjivity n aodane wt th mo of he semiot tianle Th mpii of semios h plurli of uniative al points th vritabe soues of enun cio, r rdued to te individu subjct Peoologiation of psyhi appaatu (he ego the supergo, th id) corrsponds to linuisi peoologiztion I-youh)4 Th ormlizin powe of psyhoanyi covrg wih the nor mlizig powe of signin semiotc th cron of individu s bo uly and esponsib r h guilt Inapesonal intis elationl cv, mov, eist ti intensities inteitis of desie whr you do ot ow you ae a man woma, dog, plant o nhg t ll, wher you o
Sgig Seilgies ad sigiig Setis i Prdti 7
longer know who is who, n l kow who is speking t whom') and extaersonal ititi, those of mssive economi linguistic, socil tc., machi, a ned to his told-i guistic nd psychi-persolizatin The inclusivedisjnciv ythss f primitive societies "I jagar") are no longer nd y am the mad, children, att and poets (I is n othe) h liuistic signiing mahi operates and imposes excuiv utions" (you ae a ma yu are a woman, etc.) which pvt becomings, hetergu pocesses of subjectivaio; it cniz nly idenitie dd by thse signications (mn, hµd aima etc.) and by iazd cions (wrker, oss, sut t) he structure th d ication machine opp ilivsjnctive yth ctatig subjectivi ad xivity in m by du th oth (nare, hings, he m) to a bject he sujecivity of apitait oit i not y a autm ad idependet sujectivty d to the ivua it i so a sujecivi amntd into comat a tz cies" (Ra, Uta, S, t iti t he oher accg to th ua th ib a th tb he rel and th magna thuht i In piitiv soieti u yhi a t a ied t iteii ti but a ct t a xpresiv ad pata eit it tact th ca a th uti w35 h diviuat ubt aitat ct i th a iduat by, th a a b ha b whih ut b a at t a a ody th ha by i it aua, autoomou and dpeet etahe th t
78 Sn a Mahines
te assemblages that consttute it, is a constucton of indstiazed socees whch make it a "natl bod It not at accordng to Guattai tat we have "a body, r we ae assigned a body, a body is prduced r us. Oter collectve assemblages of enuncaton an acton "macne other bodes other ways of behavng, and oter relatonshps wt the commun
The imie body is nee a naed body, but always a subset o the social body, traesed by mares o the socius, by toos, by initiations, etc This body does not conin indiiduated os it is iel traesed by sols, by sirits, which belon to the set o collece assembla 36 Guatai seems t be taken by te same atica Masm to whch Pasoln lays when he underscores the poltca ncton o ngustcs The "ngustc machine n its teoes ae pressed it e seice of te aw morat Capital and religon. Th sys tematize structre consoldate and enable power rmatons The consttui nationa nguages (meta-nguages orignatng in intea cliaion of aecs l ays of spekn d the institutin o e Natin State re resses at mutuay sstan one oter Ligsti uncati is ae a litic uaton It is ony i e istalaton a tate ae [at] siging ower rely aqires its autoy37 Paslii reis us tat eneat e ietee etury's extensie reser i linguistis ic cstrute e seioti nditins o aitis ere is at ce expsi liism ii Euroe untries ieriist exasi lo ilis utsie te Eer linguist in inustrilie Eurpe centrate urely r laguage a categr istict o
Sgnng Seges and snn Sem n Prductn 79
aguage ad spee ad o te pue spekes wo beoged to a istoia wod ateio to teis [ ] ike oo iait with peopes of oo It is te ta aism of te bougeoiie e the Seod Wod Wa Euopea bou geoisies hge thei etiosip with thee pue speakes usig them " immigt, to keep ie ow Lie ad Cooge, Pi Loo, e of Itia Geek, Spih, Ageia Moo, Nego spekewo iee i umbe immesey every ye I thi ight, Poii gives LviStu ad is b of tutuimpei attetio aig him te poet of ow wge8
Asig emo Weeas with oil ubjetio the semioogies of sigiatio we ae i a mor wor ihbite by ditit ad idivduated subjets ad objet maii esavemet ad sg semiotis opeate beyod te ubet/objet sig/tg podutio/epe settio divde Asigg semioti stok istgs ueies opoate aoutg tio budgets ompute aguges matemtis sie os d equtios as we as te sigg semiots of musi , et ae ot beode to sigiatios d te idi viduated ubets wo ovey tem ey sip pst ate ta podue sigiatios o epesetatios ey ivove moe abstat modes of semiotiati ta a guage ey maifest temseves i te siee, idutia opoatos te sevie idusty tok mket mity atst ad ommuiatioa mie te ta i the wod of ivi oiety, poitil epesetatio, o emoay
8 igns an achine
A worthwie ppro to anyzing signiing semiotics is y wy o the onept o e mine. Since te etraordinary epnsion of cinism to every spet o itat is not ony to "proution s ws e se in Ms timeno adequate theo riztion of t mine s been dvnced ecept a hand o autors work mong wich Guis.39 To uderstnd e oncept o e "macine one must set ide e sujet/ojet nature/ure opposition r tht is the ony way one cn seprte "humn nature d the machine. The mcine is not a suset o techniue ut partaes of the essence of n; indeed the mine is a prerequisite to tecnique. We must move eyond the ssica mode centered on the too wich mes te mcine n etension and projection o the iving eing. Such a ode remins unded on the "humanistic and astract mode in whic the macine serves as an orgn or prosthesis Guattaris macinism does not oppose man nd chine "in order to evuate the orrespondenes the etensions and possie or impossie substittons of one r the other bt nstea brings them into commucaton order to show how man s a ompoet pat of the machine or combines with some ing ese to consttute a mchine. The other thng can e a tool or even n animal or other men40 Te oncept of mchine ssu must therere e panded to the nconl whoe which connects it not only to n ut also to a mutiplici of other material semiotic incoorel etc eemen. It is utterly insucient to conceive of the machne soely in terms o technique. The machine is at once a mterial nd semiotic actual and virtual assembage On the one hand ere being a technique the machine is diagrammatic that is inhbited by diagrams pans and equations. On the other hand in the mchine
Sgnfng Semge n Agnfng Sem n rn 81
there are "visible, synchronic dimensions (he assemblage o com ponent parts, plans equations), but also virtual diachronic dimensions sice it is situated at he intesection o a series o past machines and e innity o machines to come. The ctor r example is a machine o which men ad techical machines are but ctors component parts It makes up an assemblage hat sur passes them Public instituions the media the welare state ad so on must also be considered-nonmetaphoricay-machines because hey assemble (machine) mulipliciies (people pce dures semiotics techniques rules etc) too is a machine a assemblage whose termshe artist ad he artork be exracted om he assemblage only via absracion: "There is not one operator or one material hat is the object o the operaion, but a collective assemblage that involves the arist idividually and his public and all he insitutions around him-critics galleries, mseums41 he distinction Francisco Vre makes beeen allopoietic macines, wic rdce smehing other than themselves, nd atpieic macines, wic enerate ad determine their wn rgatin rg an "incesst process replacing their cm pnent arts reduces tecgicl macines to instrument ppatuses incapable o segenertin Sc is true only ne sepates man ad his indiscerbe ntre om machines d their no less indiscoverable essence I n te her hand we cn sider he mcinic assemblage te cnsitute with human beins, they becme ips cto autopietic42 To nderstnd e humasmcines nctional whoe, ne must rid nese b the mecistic tesis o the strctra nit te macine, which maes it ppe s a single bect, nd e vitalist esis "e specc, ersn unit o e iig
82 gs d Mes
orgnism," which makes it appe s a single subject," whereas boh the suject and the oject re mutipicities. Once the al and talt uni is undone, once we have recognized the miplicities of elements, nctions, expressions, and conents that constitute man as we as machine, a domain of nondierence [is established] between te crophysical and the biologicl, tere being s mny living bengs in the machine there are machines in the living"44 ndustrial psychologists have reluctantly begun to amit that he relation eteen mn and machne is not primaly instrumentl but rater ective, that the object is animated," tat it is consti tuted of netorks of rces, that to work mens to exercise an occupation on tese rces 45 Unlke a thinker like Heidegger, r Guattari, te machine does not tun us away om Beng, the machine does not ve its exis ence om us On the contrry, the machnic ssemblage and the echc machine, considered as one of its components, re pro ctive of Being" Onologicl mutations re always machnic. They are never te simple resut of te actions or choices of the ma" who, leaving te ssemblage, removes imself om te non human, technical, or incorpore elements that constitute him-all tha s pure abstraction The recurrence a communication among te human ad nonha itin te ssemblage, teir extraorinary creativty an rodctivity, is not rimarily de to language Lnguage is not sucenty deterritorzed to this nction n capitist machnc assemblages; it is st too huma" In macinic enslave ents, he ontologca barrier between subec and oject esalished by socia suections is continully blrred not because o angage but ecase o asigniing semiotics
Sigifg Smiologi ad Aigifig Smioic i ducio 83
Guatari ms h disincion "bn smiologis ha p duc signcations, [. . . ] lik h 'hum nunciaton o popl who wok wih macins-and [ . . .] asig smiotics, which, gard lss o quanity o signicaions y convy, handl gurs o pssion a migh b qd s 'nonhum (such as quaons o plans which nunca h mac and mk i ac a diagr mtc capacity on chnicl nd pimnal apprauss.6 Wit signing smioics, w ar no long in h psigni ing gim o h polvocl pssion o pimiiv sociis which mi and ransvsiz h smoics o danc, song, spch, nd so on, no ar w in th sig gim in which h sign s o anoh sign by way o psnaion, consciousnss, and th subjct. igniing smioics a a mat o assmblags wh mn, languag, and consciousnss no long hav prioiy. In asigniing smioics "w vn mov byond th smoc gis. Sticty spaing, i is no long a ma o h sign, bcaus t distincion bn h sign and t n such s inguisics has maintaind tnds t s lvanc. I hol physics, "N n tday dmands psitiv p th xsnc o a paricl s ng as i can b mad nctin withu any con adicion in th aity thtic smitics s a whol. Only whn an tinsic, pimnt ct bings t smiic sysm ino opatin ds hindsight qstin th istnc th pati cl.7 Btwn th sign and h nt a nw ind o laionsip mgs. Gattai distingishs bn t impntid signs smigis signicatin, which w thi smiic cincy to hi pssag hgh psntain and cnsciusnss, and t "pw sins, "signpints, asiniin smitics, which ac on mati ows. "Pw signs, "signpints, hav a lng isy,
igs nd Mhns
since t nd religion were he rst t produce. them: "The Shaanc invocaion, he ign-wriin f he geomance ae in themelve direc ign of power They mrk he imporatin ino naue of ign of power48 I i eay o ee he dierence ben thee ign b mining how the ncion wihin capialim' mst impora institution mone mone Mone i an impoenized impoenized in when when i ntons nton s a exchange value, a mean of paymen, in oher word, a simpe mediaion beween equivalen In his e, i doe no m than repreen purchaing power49 b ealishing a biunivol la ionhip between mone-ign and a ivn quantit of ds nd ervice Power ign, on e oher had express mny s pitl and the role of mone a credi They epreent nthn thy hv no equivaent, excep in he ure expliaion f the l , naure, and ociey The are power ins becau inted f p enng omehing hey anicipae i, cae i, d mold i Power in coniue e emioic of an econom of poibe50 poibe 50 Sinpins t in t w On on hand, ey are capabe f pting pting eoica eoica even he ncions of denoain and incaon deeriorae; on e oher hand, e are capabe of nrenn direcy in ateria procee wc he ion of denoaon and igcon break down e impe pe of direc nerenion i hat of e chip, where ig ow ac re on he matei cponen The polarie polarie of ron oxide prices pri ces are conver convered ed ino binary nm ber when manec manec rip is ped ped hou a reader reader equpped wt h appopriae coputr poa The ig on a e inpu and ouu of he machne, bpag denotion, repreenton, and ignicaon in ow engage rea ow, iving order ad poducing a hane in condion
S Seme A Sem 85
The xprssiv nction mehe dirty with atrial low, nd bos apable of ctling ahinic "chois suh feedbak and bringing bot chgs o stat [ ...]. ...]. [T]h dia gratic rula incribe on y parking prit sts o the mechanis of t entrnce brrier: it aows to go o an otsid to a iside tte 5 1 But i a r grl way we a n f ary ary sig sig whi whi at diectly prduct ws f a cpur lauag wh akes tchic acies u By acg his uide f epesetati g d tigs "egag a idpdey f the ubcv cl that idivduad ats f uiati laim t hav vr h52 h c ctis f "pwr sis d t epeet d t fr rady stituted "dmiat eaity but simu ate ad prprduc a eaity tat des t yet exist a eaity tat is ly virtually pret mutipyig pssibes by eati "pti atte Rathr ha gv i advae eistee sti tutes te vey staks f hrcpeimta asembaes i physis ad the atistiexpril ad pitiaepeimeta i te dais Guatti s the perat f aigig sitis "diaam mati he diaam is a ic y d a d f witi that the ditis f pwr sg h ccp ak m eies ategies i wich dagramac c cmpass imaes ad diagas s clld "c f rla) Guattai lassie iaes with sybic tc ad ak diaams a sepaate atey whse ci ar pratal athe tha epesetatia; tey av h capaciy rprduce with eat eatitude the tia aculat f a y Diaammatc
86 Sn and ane
signs, by actin in plae of thins thmselves, rodu mhinic rater than sinicant redundny. Within dint theoretil mwork, Bruno Latour hs show th ciy o dirs to brak trough what Guttri cals th "ontologic iron urtin, sepaatin words and thins, subjets and objcts Unike lnu th digam opates a mahinic and non-signiin, trnsltabliy of phnomna by duing optiona mar: In odelin th situation th iagr aows the imagining of new senrios nw possiblitis r ation and cretion53 Diaga' is aso th ne Fouut is to th anopticon hin o achny that utotizes and isidualizs powe54 "Dissymmty, disequilibriu, irnc ae not ssud by pol but ath by mhins o which nduas a omponnt parts 55 To uns unst t how aga agams ms and signii signiing ng seotcs nction on ndamntal elmnt mssg Regadess of th nd of assmblage (economic social atomic chmicl asteti, astet i, etc) etc) pssio p ssionn d contnt ae ae ontinully ontinully subect subec t to poesses o etitolzaton whih asigniing seotis and ines low to b hnss conol; as w as ouced ias (l uations signs gahs appaatuss mhines t) com to acclrat o slow own dstuct o stabi lize, roesses o ttorlzaton wch lgag hs dcty rsin 56 Withot agatc machs signs withot the simulation and pocton thy nabl without th ture of nonhun henomena an lations by asigniing semioti systes, our itre of deterritoriazaon wo b extrely yoi nd liited hrouh ainiin seiotis hins sek, exress teselves, nd omunite with an, oth hines, nd
gg o\ogs Asgg Sem Pouo 8
"rel phenomena. Through "power signs they interact with the expression and content of the atomic and chemcal strata of mat ter, the biologicl strata of the living being, nd the cosmic strata of the universe Like machines, atomic, biologic, chemical, eco nomic, and aesthetic strata are therere agents "productive of Being, speakers and agents of prtil "discursivit Machines nd sigg semiotics are able to "see these strata, "hear them, "smell them, record them, order them, and transcribe them, some thing that is impossible r human senses nd language Innitely small and and innitely lrge, innitely itely fst fst nd nd innitely innitely slow slow, they escape our systems of perception nd language. Asig semiotics nd machines operate in the sme way in the preverbal wold of humn subjectivity, inhabited by nonverbal semiotics, ects, ects, temporlities, intensities, movements, speeds, impersol relations, non-assignable to a se to an individuated subect, a hus, agin, dicult r language to grsp a macinecentric wold, action on the rea requires arti ciaity, an icreasingly abstract articiality. Man without macines, wiout apparatuses, without diagrams, without equa tions without asigniing semiotics, would be "aphasic, icapable of "speaking these words, of apprehending and inter vening in processes of deterritoriization In a machne-cenc
wor n or o rder to to seak seak see see smel smel and and act act we are of ofa ec ecee wth machnes and nng semocs It is in this sense that asig semiotics constitute cal points of enunciatio ad vectors of subjectivation. The strength of capitlism lies in the exploitation of machines nd semiotic systems that conjoin ncions of expression and nctions of content content of every every kind, human nd non-humn non-humn,, micro physicl ad cosmic, materia nd incorporel
S d Mh
The signiing semiotics d machines (economic scentc etc.) these ncions put to "wor' re connected wit subjectivity nd consciousness Bt it is not solely no mainly a matte of eve consciousness or humn subjec. Above ey mobie art a modur subjectiiies non-reexive consciousnesses, a es ennciaion at do not orignate the nividuated sject Guaa aays uses the sme aple of riving a cr in oer t esce o subjectivi nd consciousness nction in acnc asselages en e rve e acvate subjectivy nd a mutiplciy of arta cnscosnesses cnnecte to the cars technological meca nss Tee s n nvuate subject tat says you must puh s n yu ust ress s edl If one nos ho to drive one acts ithout nng aout it wtout engaging reexive cnscsness t seang or representing what one does We ae gided y e cas acnic assemblage Our actions nd sjecve components eory attenton perception etc) re automaze a prt of te macinic hydraulic electronic etc apatuses cnstituting like echicl (nonhum) compo nents arts o the ssemblage. Driving mobilies dierent processes cnscientiaion one succeeding he nt superim posing ne nto e other connecting o disconnecing according to events Oen as we rive we enter "a state ofwke of wke dreaming a "pseslee "which lows severl systems of consciouness to nctn n arael some of which re like running lights whie othes s t he reground57 Te ught n consciousness of the indiiduated subject come nto play hen there is obstacle a disbnce or n event Then the suject consciouness nd representation ae used in order to mod the feedback relations mong the hn
Sgg Smiologi ad igiig Smioic i oduo I 89
ad non-hmn components of the autoobile "mchin, i order to rlih h atomati ehaniss ad ahini operatios. Nl o y h it is i his work aaratus th w rst exe rienc h dl pocig of sbjtivit (desubjevatio ad subjcivton, om toig d idividuated subjets' aton, on nd nnovato) But Guattari suggests hat i oe day cpilim tis i how ever aaratus a istituto oerates Wh he mation of signier a signied allows only on bjt, on cosciousess, oe uncosious, oe reali ad on e, machii eslaveet takes i a utpliit of odes of bjetvon, a ultiliity of states of ociosess, ultiliciy of unconciousesses, a utpic of realites ad modes of stene, mplicity of lag nd mioi sstem as in te tho of iou ad Rnci, you nd o trace of ahies, ahnic nlveet, iniin o diagaati eiotis, you an b ha, howver iterestig te igt otherwise be, these hois av otig relevat to sa bout te a of citalisqute simly becue without ahie, tout asg siot, thot diagrams, there o capitalis There are iee relatons of doiaio, ower, an subjectios, but ese are ot te relatios of capitalit oinato, ower, a subjeos ore troublig: te isributo of the sesible, the subjet, an olitcal subjectivato without te ani asseblage, witout it oleculr ad iosial oeratos, without teir onua dieios, aount to a iealis of te subjct a t a politcs a pure as it is unlikel M ies i cognitve itali pret a ieret set of shoromi, r t ee to ave returne to te atroooric liits of a certai bra of Marxs Cogitive labor uosed to e te iororato of the tool b the brain, a wa r an
90 S d Mhe
o apprprie te knowldg f mcins (an mplauibl, back wards xprpriaon of th machin). If th main is not s th tl-inspired ode a i a prosthis r an orgn thn th humns-mchne relaon n be ·reducd nier o inooaion nr t n oo. Hms-mahine rltions r lways n th rr f a coupling a ssmblae an ncuntr cnnction cptur. Gnratons o Ilian aivi grw up rding Marx's Gundi whs alian tralaion is: "Frmn sulle aine Frgmnt n Mchins) Ye ody machins sm o have iappeare o critic theory In Mars ie hr ws only e insie of e ory (w cnenraion ad inensity inoparably lower o a o today orporaions) h utie e later aon a f pparauses u s he rlroas Toa e are everere xcp xcp in riial hery Tey are everyere a epei in or di live I wak up in oring turn on ap a provie e atlyst a avae neor. one low e er ow pan rou a n o neork one w ae n e w ba o e nue power pan A e breaa pu a o wor ( ove reieraor e wh epenn on e a ee up oesi wor or reae i pro uvi S aaeep un on e aio wi ubje pee an voie o prou ahini ransrmaions Te uu paia epora enion o te on wor are upene Te u noroor ea on w o perepo i be are neuaize Te voi pe a o are eeroiaize beaue e lose every kn o reaonsip with a bo a pae a situaon or a erto58
S See a Se 91
Bere gon ut mke a phone c n what tme space es the conversaon ke pace? Once outse take ut mney m an ATM at gves me ers (enter your passwo ake yur car, an ake yu mney!) f make a mstake e reses gve gve me he money money an "eats "eats my car car To To tak takee machne reses e suway have to sumt he es f another automaton, he tcket machne whc s e empness e y the humans at the tcket cunters f have n ad the me ea e nespape n the nter ne uy t an experence speec n n parcur pca speech, whch nlke Aen's ey es no express sef tugh the voce ut rather thou ects an mae n ohe s speech that, as wth the a s n nge gcenc u machnecentrc 59 f have a plem wth unempyment or my welfare check, conact a cl center whch each tme asks me to press or 2 or 3. Te same thng happens when makng an appontment wth the eectrc company, suscrng to an nteet serce, otanng nformaton aout my ank accont, and so on have to gure ngs out r myself myself even even lose me dong t snce t s mpossle to d a human eng wthn these netorks Morever the tme that lose s tme gned y the company or nsttuton, tme that have gracously made avalale to them me a call om my cell phone connecte to a satete or send n SMS take a tx gded y the nnhuman voce an ntelgence ofGPSn onehlf mle g le then tun rght, etc n the aeoon order ooks onlne, Spe wth a Brzlan en nd respond to my emals; plug nto derent f formaon netorkspoltca cultual etc send an nstant message on my computer
92 Sn nd achie
At the superm sup ermrke rkett ght ght with with the utmtc check-ut check-ut th thtt is suppsed t sve me ie while d the wrk r ee f clerk usuly emplyed prtime f buy plne r trn tcket nlne vid ging ging t the sttin stti n b ut mst mst hwever hwever reluctntl reluctntlyy crry ut ut unpd wrk tht increses the prductivi f e trin cmpny r irline My perceptin f the wrld is ltered thrugh the imge n teevisin (3 hurs 30 minutes per dy n verge) mvies the nteet etc etc 99.9% f the music tht we listen t is recrded nd dstibuted by every nd f mcne Even t the lcl libry he ns nd returns re n nger hndled by humn beings but by mchines Humns e le t del with e brekdwns nd ensue tht humns nctin crrectly s cmpnent prts f the ssembge e cud cntinue the ist f ur reltnsh reltnships ips whether whether prbeic indierent r peasurble with the mchines tht ssist us dly in even ur smlest everydy ctiiies n mde dy cpitism we re surely nt cnnted wi n ecnmic scil nd pitic mdel f prductin f mn by mn s cgnitive cpitlist they mintns e re ced with n immense mchinic phylm t in ne wy r ther ecs us nd rces us beynd lgcentrism e must rise t chllenge chllenge bnd the limts limts f centr centr r hege mnc nwledge cgntve wrk r e stributin f the sensible e e must ee ee the humn humn nd nnhumn nnhumn rces tt he rst industril revlun imprisned in bo age, nd nd d s nt in rder rde r t nd n n riginl riginl subecti subectivi vi but bu t t pen p en nd ctivte ther prcesses f its prducn by seizing n the deterri triizn f wrk lnguge nd life s n pprtunity The prticulr interest tht Gutri tkes in mnes d igning semitics stems m the pssibility they er t cllective ctin
e d A d 93
o moving beyond the ways o and subjectivation based on work, language, and (biopolitical) lie Asigniing semiotics and technicl, scientic, artistic, and reolutionry processes o deterri torialization constitte e propitious conditions r doing away th the hst, alist, ad personolocl modes o repre sentation, the nationalist, racist, and classist modes o subjectivation, according whi capital is teritorilized ad in which individuated subjects become alienated The suspicions yic philosophy and psychoanlysis provoke have to do with eir re in stabilizing and mintaining capitlist deterritorilization by prviding the categories and methodologies r reteritoilizing the desubecivation crried out through the machinic enslavement o the individal, the person, nd the ego Lnguage ac the raw materi r the semiotic engineering responsible r manu cturing idividuated subject adapted to the dominnt signications t ssign him role, an identity, and a nction within the soci division o labor
9 gs d Ms
3
Mixed Semioti
A ubjecive t is away e out o an embage of hetero geneou emoi eve F Guattai 'gencements. Tansince Pesince Semin o Deembe 12 1
though w c isigush di smiotics th s of aalysis mos o xpssio always th sult of mx sioics which a at oc sigg symbolc sig W wi h sib how th soc ma ctios how a mium such as th cima th ifa's subjctity" a th ogiio o svic scto labo ctio as mx smiotic assmags assmags W must m ust usco u sco th i ach of ths cass li guisic cogiiv commuicaio smioics o ot always py h ici o. Accoutig mx smioics wil po uy ou ustanig of uciatio sic ths sioicsa o oy gugostitt ostitt soucs of of ucia uciao o an ca ois oi s o sujciva suj civai io o ayzig ayzig ths dt dt cass cass w wi cus cosy o th shi om h iiviua subct to suctivio ci out y ciis machiiss as wl as Guaia hoy
95
1 The Tradr's Ma Subj A caict yt widpd vion o t "uct i omo o nomc uct ca xciing vign tin cn v i cic nd actin. nnci td nt it l izd digm ug i uctivit ntng vign tion out it Finc i t im xam ig tic miotic in wic ign nction in pc o t oct t wic t ign w cicuting om comput to cmut in tim cnttut aiy tt i octiv mti w; t inunc uctivit nd t ction in t ytm wic t pic nd act ic n t conomy In t ding oom t on dim, on c tcd a wdwid cmput ntok, wic inict t uwd nd downwad mvmnt pic v motic d miizd : "imtntizd ign mitd t nting ic ito ut "ow ign "tic-ign "ignint wc tmut ntict mk ic nin t t dia gatic ign tat tnm t "a Unik t nt nctin t i nt n i ut mtici tgnou iti t it t " cnom t ity ct out t conm w a t i ic and t it o xctton o ic ing ing tck mkt d not t a ng a td "m ubcti t c ot o otnuncitin t in t (ig nd w) ic inti t d in t oduc fnti " cnm ct t ccuatn macin fnti nt nod o to-uctvain wc um uci {
9 n n Mche
rher cmpe f beciviyderdi ery e i percepi ec ce d cbie wih chiic pr:bjecivi Dirm curve d d pek expre heelve d cmmuice r by mki viible cpble d iplble he divere w f ir chiic rlbiliy hey rcely cribe deciimki d priceei Dirm prvide he hrehld f prbeciviy which hm bjeciviy deermie i chice Wih ech hrehld i cre mke decii expre evli d idice price ubeciviy h chice b rely chie ii ig wriig yem d irm cdied d prdced by meicl irume Eucii wd be cpleely diere wih hee emiic mde fwiig d wih mchie Give he curret cdii f deerririii d he pheme ccumti f ifri prce eucii wud be quie imply ipible Crve digr d mche re idipebe cmpe f eui f hum ie f pi ubecivi Th i (mche bjec dirm ec ciue the c pi f proeuiti d pooubjectiviy e tht they sues eable sol gate eourage ad preet ea aos thoughts ats or promote oths Mchie bje d ig d mre h iuece cer cti uh r ec; hrugh igg emitic mhie cmmuice directy wh te ce elig e freeebe d iccbe digrmic eec the re The eedm idepedece d umy f he iividul ecmic ubjec re udermied by ti ther rce iuecig
Mxed Sem 97
him, maing him a and deide wihou neessarily aessing onsiousness ha pe o subjeiviy and wha semios are mobilized by hese sies o proosubjeivaion deermined by diagrams, ompuers, and so on? Foremos, as wih primiive peoples, he insane, and hildren, he subjeiviy is ansiivis, ansindividual, and he semiois symboli. I order o aoun r he subjeive behavior involved in asse priing, onvenion heory and ogniive apiis heory presup pose agens' mimei behavior The inersubjeivi, language, and ommuniaion o he mimei relaionship are supposed o supplan he mehodologial individuism o homo eoom unded on raionali and sovereigny Unounael mimei behavior is irreduible o linguisi, ogniive, or ommuniaional inersubjeivi Wihou in he leas paraing o he philosophi eory ha unerpins e noion o nanial behavior mimei behaior, we mus emphasize ha r is reaor, Ren Girard, mimei emula ion is above he emulaion o desire One does no imae ways o being, one oes no imiae ideas or he "ogniive basis o he "oher; one imiaes desire mimesis implies he emulaion o desire, is onsiuion and disseminaion/irulaion anno, however, be explained by ommuniaion, language, or ogniion, beause es undermine preisely he ommuniaonal, inorma ional, linguisi and ogniive models "Mei raioni is no linguisiognivea om i For e spends he speaer/heaer enuniaive dihoom e si o subjeiviy, bu as muh o he enuniaors subjeiviy as o ha o s addressee pinoza, Guaari suggess, perely undersood his ransiivis eaure o e "(om he o oneiving a hing le ourselves o be eed wih any
98 S d Me
emotion, we are orselves to be aected wit a like emotio) [ ] Aect is thus esseniy a pre-ersl tegory, istlled 'bere he _irumsriptio idetities, a miested by unloatble rasrees, otble with regr t heir orig as well as wth regar to their destitn."2 fect remais gue, atsheri, Guattari says, i other wrs, it is t ue systems ist oppositios as in the lnguistic, mmiaonal, or gie models. It is therere quite redutie to exlin imet behir via linguistic, comu ictive, r gnite rationality Smehere there are downward treds a tere are upard tres i the same way as mana" iruates imist scieties Mimeti micatio occurs thrugh ontagon a not through onon Whe it is a matter o hsig, eiig, an exercising eem, the traders human subjetiiy, lguage, sigiin semitis, and cogitive power do not rise above but instead at, are piece, with macines power sis, symblic semiotics, nd ects Macines ad power sins, no less th te idividuas eedom," are ostitutive is decisionmaking, coices, and pouso The traders subecti i ndoubtedly a maciic subectivi wse operaons ony e determied y way the nctiona wole o umansmacines atematical systems, data baks, interconnected computer etworks, telepone etorks, and so n, are part othe nanciers subectivi Trugh h groups, lobbies, interested enomi and pitical parties, an schools tougt at ad express themseves enuciatio lso depes on mimetic tio , rhermre, the laws d rues tt pert certain eratios t hers, r the lsening o bot laws nd rues as the Stte hs eere t r the last rty yers Isted o
ixd eitics I 99
a rionl subject wh cotrols infrmaton nd his choices, homo coomcus is ere terinl of sgin, sybolic, nd sini seioics d of non-linuistc cnsiuens which r the most pr escape his wreness. W ar o only well beyond he ndvidulis d rtionality of homo coomcus, we hve oved bynd coniive cpitals" I his cne, sinin selgies, discourses, coniive actvties, specc ncion: contlln e deerrioriliztion ad desubjecvion the dirmatc seioics nd sybolic smlgies dene The individul subjec, his soverein nd atnal behvior, ruined by te rel wrkins of he stock rket, must ltrlly be reconsructed, rebcatd, by siniin seiolo gs cmmuncaion, nd coniion h discourse of econosts, mda xts ad judes3 create h blief th it is indeed he dvidual subjct who cs nd who thus ust be copensed s a rslt Thrugh seioics of sinicaton, stories, inforon, ad commtar a poduced which cnsruct and legiiae he ncion and he role of these indivdued subjects" (raders) in public opnion. Signiing semiologies cnno be reduced o ideolo4 Nrr tves nd dscourses hat spek of homo coomc, he eedo of he entrepreneur, he selfrein power of he rkes, nd so on, have no supersrucurl ncion, since i is sin chines ha prduce specic and ndenl como the indivduaed subjec The ideologic rc" of sining seiologies does not le in he c at i prevens o hinking or in ere ipu lon (lhouh i cn do boh s well), bu rher in its biliy o eec uion in subjecivi The reins of neoliberalis (be n sset, be selfsarter, get rich, ec.) re there to ensure this happens. The lter do no de a reliy o ; nstead, they endow wih
0 I gns and Machnes
a reltionship to tim, c, nd others by mang us exit ome wher in a world tht rr vry subjectiviy whih apitlist dter�itorialization roduc to t ntreprenu, individual suess cotition, soci Dwinim, nd so on. 2 T M eos o e H" Ths opposionon te ne ide, dsir-drive, deie-ioe sdah, dieggeion and, on te ohr intection . . ]sms o e uttely eaoary een. Fl Gti Mocur Ru Bri
the last yes o i i, Gttri oen on Dniel Str book Te neesonal Wr ofe Inn odr to ma tog
o t sioti aectiv, nd istential comonent tat conibt to the prodtion o bjctivi I t' wor, prvrb b tivity, expressd throgh sigg boc iotic, i dcribd in it robmatic ron to t gic "oci cn Accordng to Gti, ngtic oy n nyt oo ytemticy ignor or gos ovr t r-indvid bctivi whic i t h root o l mods o bctvtion Str book ndrin th ni o t bjct b nrting th mtiici o "vs, miotic, raton, nd act, s ci rvrb on, contitting i aproac prov ticy nigtning wn tyng to rn t xitnti nd rrnt dmnion t t at o Gatis teoy o bctvt Fr om sing oly ro ngg, cogntion, or coicaon, t reation to te rposes a oitoning t i tn, atic, nd ctv rior to bing ngc or cogniiv bectv mtation i not ry dicriv, bca it
M Smot 0
is situated at the ca oint o (existential) non-discursivity at the core o subjectivi t is starting om this existentia dimension that there is an emergence, a rocessuai, a taking on o consistency, o subjectv Only om this asignng, unnamable, and incommu nicabe core can there be signicaton, anguage, and narrative he oint has imortant oitical imications since this same re individu subjectvty is brought to bear by caitalist machinic enslavements to exoit ec, rhyms, movements, durations, intensities, and asigg semiotics The Emeget Sead sg Semots
Bere acuiring anguage, inants activey construct rms o erceiving, communicating, and exeriencing the sel and the wod through vey ich and ferentiated nonverba semiotization Stes work undesces what is om the outset the transsubjective nature o the earliest exeriences o the inant, who is yet unabe to isnuish eeen a sense o sel ad he Sten describes three senses o sel he sense a emergent sel the sense o a core sel and the sense a sujective sel) that ecee he "sense o veal sel£ ense o sel des nt mea, in he st thee ces, "concet owlege o awaeness 6 as these exeriences d nt ass thugh language, cnsciusness, eresentaton Accrding to Guaai, he ieent senses sel eceng he linuisic sense o sel ae in n way stages in the Feuian sense but levels o subjectivatin, nonveal cal ints and vectos sujectivation that maiest themselves houghout le in aallel wih seech and consciousness he thee st senses sel ae exessed through mxe, asigniing ad slic semioics
1 0 I Sn and Mans
Be the ifas brh ad he rs o ohs f lfe he exeriens he "eess o "eere nrrson ik the enesis o what Ster s h "sese o rgn s There are thre rncial was in whih he f xrns hs dal ereio caterical s d vil s Th nt has a gra bi select o and organz h gnr ad bstract aurs f what has o h Innsis or ures rhhs ad mvemens r urs oon o vr snsorial r d the ifa c s idn nd o hr rsse h m e sese o anohr o sgh o ouh r xe or o tuch hearing The abstract ad oda urs o wha hns r r hdd hrouh tw dirn av rocsss gor s whih exress aer srrs o sdss d so on ad v es which exress hngs n etal sas d itesit hrshlds i s wa f fn Vli aets are catured b dnic ketic erms such as 'suri i awa 'eei xlosv rsed 'deresced burst 'raw ut ad s o7 Dce music as w as the durati f vide-cneat rahi maes are acrd t Ste raities that best aure hese itesities these "was of fee This bal subjective word i which here is t et a divisi bewee subject ad bjec i which the sef d thers are iis tiuishable i which cmuicati ccurs b ctai is ad remais accrdi to Ste ad Guattari he "dametal domai f hum subjcvt I erates uside f csciusess d rereset the "max (Ste) the "existetial re (Guattari) f exreces m whch "thut d erceived rm ad ide tiabe acts ad verblied fees wi aer arise [ ] Fiall it is he ultmate reserir that ca be did it r creative
Mixed Semioics 1 03
experiece."8 leaig ad creative ac deped o this sese of emerget sel This domai of experiece remais active duig the rmative period of each of the subsequet domais of sese of self as well s drig ater earg ad creative pocesses. We have access to these modes of semiozatio i childhood, though psychosis, drug se, ad cer tered stes of cosciosess, but aso rough artisic creatio, falig ove, polical pssios, existetia crises, ad, e discsively, through philosophy.9
The Sese ofa Core Se the Sese ofa 'ubjecve Se ad Sym
bolic Semiocs The sese of a core se' (the sf s opposed to the other ad e sef with the other) costtutes the eeece of sef ad other s eties" with a physic presece, aco, ect, ad cou" The sese of core sefdepes o umerous iterpersoal capacies10 Tis is stl ot a cogive costruco (r it occs ouide cosciousess) but raer tegrao o experiece ad a memoy without words" wc prode the ss r e more com seses of se Accorig to Ste, he eriod spng to to six mohs is eras e most excusivey ad itesey socia perio of the its ife te soci smie vocizatios directed at others the uua gaze, etc e sese o a sujecive sef occurs whe e t discovers at e has a m ad tat ohers do too, hat experieces, cotet, aects, a eoios are seabe (or ot saeabe) ad ca e commuicate wthout wors because aguage is yet uavaiabe Se ad oer are o oger oy core etiies with a cet physic resece, actio, aect, a cotiuity; they are etities wit iteral ad subjecve states
4 I Sn nd achnes
How does one reate with the subjective perience o others, shre their ecs, without the use o words? A Guattari and Sim�ndon {or Spinoza) might put it, one doe so throu "trnsi ivis, transindividu subjectivi Bewn he ags o nine nd tlve monhs he nnt is ble o coornae his menal states such oin tenton inen tons n cive sates. Viliy (ync knec c nd cgoricl cs jo, sadnss constue h maeral nabling the inant's "attunement and sharg, wich prsuppose he xis tence o a "shared amework o sigcation nd the means r "preerb communication gesture, posture, cia expression and vo exprssion, etc)12 Aects remain the "predominant mode and subsn o communications ith [e] mother; other peope fects couped th gestures, posture, nonverb action, nd votons-are e most immediate origins o and the pro toinguistic conditions r the emergence ad acqusition o lngage A uati remarks is at the heat o ths proto socil an sll prvrbl Unvrse hat a, ethnic, urbn, etc rs ar rsm (lets cll i he Cuural nconscious4
S ofa Val S and Sng Smotcs Th rh sens o sl he snse o vebal sel h o o with the juncon n duncon h complmnta a gap teen the ver an nonvr prs o scivit, between asigniing smolic smiocs and sig seoogies Ts is because the emergence o nguage i the sorce o a cvge beteen perience s it is ived and s it is "represented I inuistic signications make ou experiences with others more ei sharbe, the ao make certin parts o thee ame
Mxed Semcs I 05
experiences inaccessible to others as wel as t ourselves. The non verbl nd "globl par of perience and that prt of experience converted into words very well coexist, the verbal part harmo niously enriching and expanding lived (aective) perience. B the latter may lso be actured, rendered poorly by language consequently rcing peience underground (repression) The adult's words, "Oh, look at the yelow sunlight speci, separate, d acure the amodal experience of the suray the infant has. "The paradox that lnguage eoke perience that transcens words is perhaps the highest tribute to he power of language B those are words in poetic use; The words in ou dily lives more oen do the opposite and either acture modl global experience or send it underground15 The three preverbal senses of self are not steps in the rmation of the verbal sel£ They remain inde pendent centers of semiotic and subjective "production and continue to nction in parallel with their own "autonom' and their own semtics Accrdg to Gari the way in which linguistics and psy caayss concee the reationship beteen verbal and nne semiotc rses he same political problem. The theories ae ed y a e unded on the oposition beteen a raw d ese es nstinct, aimlity d spntaneit on the ne h n te her a universe of sca re he mboic aw phtn epessed by anuae ad sging semitc he semtc-nustc e is i rea a pcal mode In the sme ay s a sppsey erentiate ecnmy o desire neces states sgn mc semiotics, the a and taoos t prode ts stcre n he pcess of poitc sectivaion we need he ptc pt ts emcratc centasm in order to structure d scpe the spnte of subectes
1 0 I gns and achines
Buer consids te model f "symblic cstration and the "law at once cssy and invitbl in th matio of both spech and society. T idea of a pdiscusiv libidnl mutpliciy that eectivel psupposes a sexulity 'b t law16 is part of mantic visi of subjectivity v Fucult, since we can sa othing abut d do nothin wit lity pior to languae th lw, the symolic, and h tbo cty to wt St demnstrates Accss to the "rea f t udietitd c y be ssured thu the medti of th symblic t lw tao ad t siier Sinc dsi partes of drm, ftsy, d epesentti the will lwys be a choice t mk beten "plasur pincipl and lity pinciple o Bad Stiegl, th dive closest t animlity mt undergo ymblic "sublimaio i d t restblis th necessar cis of t "sup ego nd th "law destyd by cpitlism Vi is pt, llws t the ltt Witgnstis aporism ccdi t wc "spc placs "drive Lanu cmpltey cnes wd f drivs " shaping tm m tp to bottm it tcs t xpess words and gmm wt is of the d f t I Bdius p less Maxist-iism th oppsition bee t im d t subject tuns t ppsition beeen desir spti d organiztio Gutti challnes the model on the g t as we v just se t nonvbl semiotics of subjectiviy v asolutly thin dieretited abut the; the on th c tra "ivlv ighl lbrate prts f ssemlge, sntx d modes f siotiati that d not ncssily impl the existc of metguage nd vcodin in od to iterpret, diect maliz d order thm7 Ty ar nite poorer no i i langue; they are dnt
ixed Sem I 1 0
The pi is dee langage and signii seics b raher, a ppsed wha gisics and aalic philspy d, place rseles beee he discrsie and he ndiscrsie i rder make ennci ad sbjeciai rw m he iddle
3 Ce e Seo W o he cinem ordr o sspd mom or s mods of onicio - i L div d vr"
A pliical bae has lded ad cnies d ard ciema r crl f e eecs f sbjecia d desbjeci ai ha he "-hman seiics f e ciegrpic imae prdce he indiided sbjec e ree preer senses f self, e sese f a erb se d seiics (a ce asigiig symblic ad sii) e lized y ciea rpic ciism whic y deerriaizi e ige ad percepi (he lmeye) sks di i is way e iy f e sbjec Wih he ciema, we ae exk cse f w e sig ce ces neaze rder d nrmaze e c f symbc d si sem wic exceed dmia si cais By ierrczing e aer sigii seiics e m idsy cis like rp psycaysis (Gai) pwerly idi i he csrc f e res d cis d, especilly i e bricain f he idiidaed sec ad is cscis Gri liss precisely he semiics a wrk in he ciem:
10 n n Mne
he pho brc of xprsso ha rfr o pok lga ( smoo); h sooros b opho br ha rer o rel s s eos) h sa bc tha rrs o pa both bolc d as smoc) h srs nd oms of h hman bod ec bol smoos) h drto oms, braks spce ad te p sq ec th ak p as netes18
he inem he t eive abv m it i ymbic mitic (inage intrn mvmnt vi im cr n rhythm tr ec etc19) rr nt r bri mment the ibii mvin bnd iniing mii byain rnic individtin n nin ibiitie that r nt r incrib in minant ubjetivatin im image nnt b irety nce mr t n ame by the ntmtic n arimati tt nr t reative tabiity nd invrine mning in na With inm it bcm ibe t ricvr te tr reigniing mitic in tiin rd. inem nt t t cmnnt exrin (ignier/ign int y bt rter in rimitiv iti "n: the imag nd n r en nd rittn (text mvmnt itin cr rythm n n Dning n t cmnent tht rvi thr re frnt miti reaing n eing a m "It cn b en thrgh it cr r rytm thrg it image thrgh t chin ct it crt n ther i btey n niv
ed Semis 109
necessary, or unmovated relatinsip bt igniig chan and he contents sied."20 A in primitive societies, ig (ybi iti) nd intensities, moements, interal tmprliti nd litis (asiniin semiotics reintrodu biguity unrtinty nd instablit into denotaon and ignitin Exprsi on aain becomes polocal, mltidimeioa d ultirfertial T semiotic components o lm glid by otr witout ever in or stabilizin hemselves i dp ytx of tt ontnts or in transrmational system tt would d, superily to manist contents"21 The same mpossibl f rizi i guge i ed by Psolini. For the Iti pet t in w iptat par o human reali ad f tings ts r rsd tug stems o sins, in ohr wr by oerb (ig r im-ig) nd non-man langug gs ey d m l ave he atres o qu ty t preu nt or on t border of wat is un I ny s e prgr mtia d prpgica (rem tak p n t el of th uiu do mi processes) T in i t on dntaly oeiri d pt mtru T irraiol" ts f te nguge f , br bu irrgulr gressi iiay anot be eliited; tu th diult i stablisig n itituti aguage3 Indd t tures, wi Plini tr irrti, ke up th dliti of xpressio f t ititi iti t w tiig deped lgi tr t tt f the ini vidutd ubjt' rationity T i i ths cpbl if r nly intnt f makin orp: sigl nesia uiou nd trn d removn
1 1 0 Sgs d Maces
u om the social divisions oflabor that ssign u a role, a ncon,
and a meaning.4 The intensities, movements d dration of images produce eec of desbjectivation and disindidation in the same way th chldhood, drgs, drems, pssion, creation, or madness ca strp he sbjec of his iden and social nctions Cinema sspens percepon n he habit coordinates of ision, making the sensoroor syse anction Images nd movements no longer epen on e movement of the objec nor on the bran; insea tey re he atoatc rodcts of a achnic aarats. I trn, one srpts the ins beeen ornary sitations, ages n oeents by coeling s o ener into derent space-tie bocs B inse of elding doinant sbjections images can, conversey, chain s to them They are oy cal oins of sbjectiion A vectors of sbjectivation, they can ony trigger, initiate or open rocesses of heterogenesis (both te rodction of heerogeneiy processa genesis) he consisten of sbjective heerogeneiy epens on he nerplay of a mltilici of rces, apparases, echniqes It deends in the al nalysis, on a olics n a aesecs The eicoolitcal battle, hich the Ameican cltl indst has esondingly on, has been gt over this cal oint of heterogenei The inds has worked to netrle and sti e heterogenei by loitng, like schoanaysis, ersonologica nd falist sigers The shi of cnems mltireferentil and olysemic semiotcs toward dominant vales and the domestication of the "oneiric monste d its irrational elemen have occrred togh the redcton of symboic semologies and asigg semiotcs to he modes of caitalst sbjecvi
Mxed Semiocs 1
The commrial inema is "undenibly filiaist, Oedpn n raionry. [. . . ] Its 'mission o dt l t the mde equird by mass nsumtin.25 If iaabl f stalihng s nvbe and be gncan s ngge po dce oe o bjecv hve he ce o pe e obvone o phc peence Cine c on e dep o ubjecv becse t povde bjectv w dente nd oe o bvo b pong gg n boc semocs. In this ay, it ctins lik "rop psyhanalysis, normalizin ntnsitis, hirarhizin smitis nd conin thm whn th niviuat subt. Cmmil inms t on e unconsiu s even e prl tha that f syhaays snce its uconscou popu at by bys ad Indins, p d obbrs (n ohe wods nn-Oil nsiusnss, a unncous qu o te wold ud us) d th rng f soc chanm obe dietl nct wth the tats poceses o eoizon26 The ect ruced by comec cne n n n by ee von h nong o do wh deoog des no nvove eexve conscones and epeenon on elementay onec nd bbc eeents wee c beow e evel o conscnes; a he wee expe bconscos nsumen o hock n peuso27 by h cu sy d inds n gene Cnsiusnssraisng no cen eponse becase gs t us an rgnze heslvs in ec on e te "svs ring te lguisti sl Aigning, symblic semiotis nt at n cnconss but rahr dectly n "th ontinuus variatin a ce of existi an tnal action.
1 1 2 igns a achins
Hee ubeciy h nohing o o wih Alhue ieologicl ue becue i n eecilly i comonen e ouce whole binging o be wh I cll igning eemen which ovie he bi elion o ime hyhm ce he boy colo n euli 28
4. Sig d Asig Semis e Divisin f Lab me of c o iom eem hve guie he vnce of Wee ciion om he oue he minin h ue ocieie unfol in he oecive how of he Se; he econ e cegoicl imeive m mu wo -Piee Cle So Aa h Sa t smitics d mdlities f subctiv impicti w v describd cm t br i evey divisi f lbr But wrs sigiig semitics d sci subcti r recgized d lyzd s suc the prcsss f sigiig symbic smitics d ts f mciic slvmet re igred i the scigy f wrk (d idustri psycl Tis is te mre surprisig giv tt ty re wt cstitute te specicity f te cpitalist divisi f lbr sm "lgctic limit detracts m Marienne Dujariers therwis rmarkabl lysis f te rgazti f prducti mass svics ( gritics ciic and restaurat cai, werei lguag is uderstd s cmpet f the divisi f labr ad pr ducv "Bcuse servic wrk is reltial, the autr argues, "it mblzes ae t suc extet that e cud eve say tt mst wrig ms speag30 At te sme time se
xe em I
enumerates grat vaie ad intnsiv us of siniing siotc irreduible to speech. Up d down t ierachy, signiin soli smiotis oprat wit signiing smots, ut the rela v igt of one t rspet to te otr hgs ordng to t rral levl i wh ty tion The ord o diretors dos "politica work wn it sts t oranizaos goas and srtgis by providing th nssr resours (apit operting budet and heir otio')31 T ord's ordrs ae transittd on he hierachy, olng t ost varied asigniing trsaons Speech would b insu int to orge t produton proess and powrlss to omand nd atvt subjetvts "CEOs iv rar r to t gnri obetvs hdd down o the ord of rtors rm of dvelopnt plns, thil otnts, qulit poliis, ost-sving surs, autorition gent ontrol, digitaliation, mrkting strtgies, IT ssts, dvrtising gns'32 Budget constrints ae also trsrmed into asigning organi tional lnts: budets, HR policies investnt plans Undr t EOs h or of manaer xprts, to whom uppr gnt has ntrustd the work o turng out nsuc tions nd nsuring thy r lowed onsists ririly in trsrg th bstrat dd r totl qut,' omort trtvnss,' vrsaii, or thic into spi organiionl rquirnts' The anslton of COs ois is nondisusive plos r not sond the way Mnnius Agrppa dd te pebeis in ttt to onvin t with s rtori rsnl to ut nd to tr nsuordnon (Rire ts t pisod s odl of the egltri tion sial lgg) I th i tlst orgaization of work ts is not ho ordrs transmittd
Sgns and Machnes
Thy do not nction oll (ad ould sa principlly subeively Order ar o st ssud throu dicours bu hrough pprtue uin asgg siotic I e hold o h descrption iven by the auho hrsl iniin eios a liitd to ccopanin dsou or to bein copletely abs o t: Order tke the of the ornition ch pla pojt nul protocol chr indicor procedure posss nd production nd neent ore33 The ortion of ork rt of ll quetion of igaa prgic Linuiic ipertive34 (you ut o xhoa ios (you hould eetin ideoloic peechs ad so o ould hve little hold on ubjectivity ere thy o suppod b siniin eiotic (dir pror budgs aag idctor ccountin gure etc hich do o spa bu on Thy do not rt dde the I" h salad didual They et o opertion hl bypsig osouss ad pre senttion gning seoi or lk a l og i humasmahs huasogazaos husposss sss Th sablsh a rad pr ilao ad hs rad ho a ll be hma bg as a mah soa pod s hou psaos Th ooo ri ss (all rs) ammal plo lgug b dug sg smos o a ms of siglg ha smpl ggs pbaed adds d spos podus Th s og of h ogial h rbl xchg be plo ad osum Wods ad proposos a th pu d oupu of h ah sla sp o se los idos l A Flru s ha rsposbl h dgradaon of lug ls h poor schoolhl imm' os th youh hs s Psoli
Med Semioics I 1 1
ready had it in the 10s, private enterise and marketing are the ones responsibe The covrsatio wih a osur ut be quiky rrrd bc to a srt which th orator will th rad word r wo H a be elzd h "gos o cit r orig itigt o emhti rso to e custor. Thus th ompts rlie to qustios ad ohe s o iviity ar ld out io to h ovrsatio ilogu is "triggrd cordig to he cutomrs attitud queios. Fia th rits ar a wy of tylori_zig oveio th attr is spit ito basi uit each tas prrme ovrsatioa sripts ar ad u of ebictd hrase hought u by thos who do ot sp them n o by thoe whoe litrst is ot to thi.35
The aects intensities and emotions that animate every verba exchange ae sumitted to the sme semiotic traing whose aim is to program and conto behavior. Emotion itsef is conceived to be a tsk and is pnned r prior to i occrrence It can be prescribed to the empoyee or to the consmer independeny of what they fee. Labor mnagement instittes pans sch that the empoyee whether a tickettker, yoth eader, cashier, t attendant, hair dresser, bs driver, or msem gide, is compeled to adopt chee, assring, happy, or ny behaor.36 Anayzing the se of semiotics in the cstomer serice reation shipom beow rather than om the board of directors perspectiveDjarier notes that ngage is growing increasingy abstract. hen a service is carried ot, whether at the edery per sons bedside or the cstomer's tabe, ngage is that which is
6 Sgs ad Maches
constructed according to each speakers linguistc rerences in the interaction beeen employee and consume.37 Ths "language of professionals mrs out a communi of peers (employees) and aows us "to speak and, therere, to examine hat rel ork is "Higher up, n the idiom of orders d control, 'manageria lnguage is employed In "the procedures, plans and managemet or economic ndicators used by hiechicl superors, the semntic rerences are essentially taen om the language of action ('do is) and measurement ('in order to obtai a result38 "Above manageral language e nd the language that addresses methods and processes, the language of "expets, hich produces discouse about discouse" because its object is manageral discourse iself At a stl hgher leel, "potcal dis course conces the evaluation of results and methods and repsnts hat the auo clls a dcouse about dcouse about that is a discourse about experts The move to er-greater abstraction in capitlist command is alays intprted in terms of language (a "discorse about dis cous and a dscourse about iscourse about discourse), heres, a on os up the herachy, rather than spea of abstraction, e oul do to analze the ay i hich sig semocs ae incngy used The hold superior hierarchical leels have over inio ones does not occur becase of e use of metlnguage but trough te exploitation of asigning semotcs I monitoring, the second nction deolving on those gher up the ladder, the same mechanisms and semiotics are at or as in ordergivig Monitoring consists in the activaton "of major indicatrs, of overall raings; it "is ercised through racking mechanisms and pioritizes the automatic mechanisms and "impersonli of asignng raings Functional control ns out
Mxed Semo 1 7
over disciplinay nd discursive ontol even a it employ hem boh.39 Even "self-onro, which meaue the sbjeive invetmen o he emoyee's "Ione rm o socal ubeioni main ned by mnageri oos (rnkings, erormace smries, ec) Wihin he serice indusry a rge pr of he emoyees work coniss in raing, raking, cssing ("We have o ow procedures, o down, draw up he idicaors, vidae, rack [ . ] Personne rae eveg nd rae hemseves on eveg)40 Rings me racking possibe, wch machnes in urn pocess via sig semioics The angemen oos mobiized rough "elconro re si machinc appaases, a kind of hypomemaa o abor srucure 1 The "I of socil subecion cn only be sea raed om echnical machines, om orgnizion mahine, om processes, hough absracion Symboli smiois play n overheming roe in he sevice elaionship by aanging he esseni specs o busines commu nicaion wih cusomers roh avetsing ybolic emioics re ly pr o he mnagement eniqe of labo organizaion. he (dread) business n maketn culte whih tey ini whle molin ublic/cusome sbjetivit alo iectly at on e ubjevt of emloyees, r whom adveisin ommiaton is eally what mut be produced ] Emloyee] behave at work as hey believe on the one hand, hat the eole they serve beieve he promises mae to hem, and, on he oher hnd, ha i i esenil o he In his inerplay, e ide omsed o he onumer ecomes he norm o wha mus be roduced2 Durier deeniaes in her work among semoics, cevery ed "mie eles emancs: "body ngge (smboic semioi), "ecnic nguage (signiing semioics), nd oci aguages
8 Signs d Macins
(signiing semiois) a convrg in h seric laionship.43 hat is lcking in his is an apprciaion of mchinic nslavmnt It is not n emirical bu a concpul shorcoming, sinc machinic nslment s vry uch prsn in h x nd clely niond by those inteviwd who xrcis cond nctions in h company undr h rm "procss. A higher lvls h "languag of xprs, theoeticl lnguag on colord wih ngliciss . ] no longe dels with work bu with ocss "Managrs ar no inrsted in whetr one belongs o a paricular rad or in is lgiimcy; the cus is the oganzion d conrol of "pocsss ssntlly consisting o te pplication of hods, monitoring of indicatos, vection o te unimity of procdurs nd h organiaion o meetngs CEOs and xprs "rprsn hmslvs nd ae consided as seciliss no in 'labor but in 'prcsss 'tchniques, nd tools The cnal rol playd by pocss also emeges in monioring ocdurs44 hat s o ll must e montoed and vluated ar te humns-mce stems, te mied semotc sgg, asignng, ymbolic wch togete me u rocesses. Sociology and nduil cholog see to be incabe of ging conceptuall te quitte l tt has occured in te mo om "wo t ocss, om sujcton to ensavement Those gh on th each no longe de wit wok ut wit ocess wch ntegtes o one o its rts. hy oganie mcnc ensement oces, in wic wok aes no dierent om mcines, semotcs, ocedues, dertsing, and communi ctions Witn tese esoned sice, whose mchins do not bea down wit te same cusng wight s in ote industrl sctos, dagams, schema, ndctos, udget enties, etc., tae mcis ce n te oganton o ocess
Med Semcs / 1 1 9
The socioloy (nd he psycholoy) of work i impriond, along wih th st of ociology, i anthopomorhic houht whos "actor th "I of he mploy ad the interbjectiviy of he "collective o wokes. Deleuze and Guattai's ati-socioloy ees u om the politic limits imposd by the ucio o labo oa nizatio to the personology of socil subjectio Althouh te Maxist ad Maxia thoy o valu hs iecty or iiecy ispie te "pogreiv pat o sociolo an ius tia psycholo, it in o way helps to scap ahopomophic padigm, r by ditiuishin "livi labor om "dead labor, it assigns cretivity ad po�uctivity to the rmer nd eleate to the ltter mere epouctiv ctio The ditinctio bteen living lbor nd dea labo is appopiat ony om th point of viw of oci bjection Fom th poit of view of machiic nslavement he ite of ouctivity, th vctor of enunciatio, th " itelf ou so nd "r th oth ou lu ot xclu sively huma Machines, objects, poceds, diagams, maps, d so on, ae ot waiting th "bibca spit of ivi labo to stoe lie, mobiiy, and creti to hm Fom the pot ove o machiic eslavement, asigg smoics, objcts, iaams, poams, nd so on, cotibute to poucon, ceatvi, ova io, h same way as "people o Like machies, humas a hybis o "a a "ivig labo Machic slvmnt o pocsss pcedes the subjct a h object a supasses the pesooloica istictios o social subjcto h lt, betee vi a ea, subject d objct, ae the eslt o he tritoiao pocess cte on "m a "labo Soiology and ustia psychology opate a humaist titoaatio, a "humaao o wok, hich has nohi possiv about it; inde, it is ietical to he social
20 I Sgns d Macnes
subjection it legitimates. Instead of being considered n operation of power, capitalisms distribution of places, roles, nctions, nd idenied with ms vey emncipaon By atributing atributing stas tajobs i idenied tuss nd tu nd social social plac placee [ ] [wo [work] rk] contributes contributes decisively decisively to the cnsrction cnsrction of o f identit identityy it alo alows ws one o ne to act on the wo wod, d, on oher eople ad onesel"45 onesel"45 Sciology and indsi pscholy only recogne work" (rk ssigned," work accompshed" work experienc" etc) nd completely neglect h ct ha ork" is lays caialist labr" that the concept islf exiss nohere else but in caialist socit They project the category labr onto the past and he e by maing it a ivrsal" sg all history The political dimensin of th disibn labor"46 is r gen in vor of n anaysis of srizaion Work is a by d existenil experience hat ks h liits and cr nty nty o hs hs ac acon onss ] he wr e d (r derived o) plays a decisive le i each persn's pschic nd somatic thought"47 Sociology nd indstril psychology conse wor' with the poiticl progra' the workers' movement created in response to wage slavery It ws not labor s such that guanteed emancipa tion Self-realaion, identi rmation, nd socil recogntion through work have lways been at the heat of the capitistand socialistproject ise£ The reverence r d celebration of ork expressed by Frnces last president48 re more than the products of ideology and opportunism e must look to something other than rel l employment, genuine workvlue" For the social deocrac ncons i hich or hs been investedincome guarantees, social recgniion and bilit, the meaning d condence in the ureare no longr borne out by or or lyn Starting ih machinic nslavement, s
Md Smio Smioics ics 1
oeie a eteitoiaizato tat to oetig ote ta wok= wok=aue aue We We ut eze te oppou oppoui i of of eubjetiatio eubjetiatio opee by aii eaeet o a t to fal bak o the yti ytioept oept at atie ie of poue woke woke a a epoyee epoyee T i oe of ou ot uget tk we ae to iet ew politl ubj etia etiatio tio
5 The Fn d d Pceg f Sbec P igg mii if cm m i a ma imagi a i c itm i igg mh igi. - Gaai Molecur oluon
at the elatop betee igiig eioti a ei ologe of giatio i te exeie of apitit powe? Tei atio oaee opeet oe ote Eooi poitial powe i ioeable tout te poutio of ubjetio igiato tat eteie ea peo te poitio oe i to oupy (you e a you ae a woa you ae a woke you ae a bo et) te way to beae te to to (you ae to po ue youe you fai te State et) te way to to expe oee£ you o ot tik a you o ot at te way te State wt te aket e you toug a beaio w ae to aapt tey w ae to be b e ae opatibe wit ee igi igiatio atio i mm a cic ma ci m gica mc m ac a i ac ig i
22 I Sgns Machnes
rcogz h gal w r ga falur ma la u ro o h ho49
A Foucault reminds us, pwer-which is simply an actin upn an actindetermines pssibilities, prbabilities, ptentialities, and es, wich must cnnually be territed and nte gted int e mla dmensin f nstituns and signicatins, t becme ebded n the rles and behavirs f ndiduated subjes. Mney, Mney, r exple, exple, creates creates deterritrialng eec eec insucent insucent in themselves. The ecnmic imperatves tat result m em (r exae, reducing the debt, cleing u gvernment aunts, impsing "sacrces n the dminated, etc) must be interpreted and translated int discurse, thught, and acn by e media, lical pes, unns exer, and State satrs dresse to pubic pinin, t each scial grup and every indi vidua The State, the media, and he per ceaselessly prduce aatives, stories, ad stateents at cninually rense with meaning the asigni operons of credit mone which, in is specic unction (digrammtic, signiing) has n use r subjects or objects, persons or things. Money an rt recge only an abstract and deterritorialized subjectivity and an equally absact ad deterritoialized object M: any bectivi what soer any kind of object whatoeer without teritor stence, or ubecivi Subjections attach this deterritorialize subectiv t es and cns in which indiidus in tun become i ena enated. Cnversely C nversely,, if we remain at the level of social subection ad sian, pwer is reduced to a icon, a iage, a reprsentation r conemplaon bout which, in reaity, we are rarely oled. Discouses, nrratives, and signications capture subjectivity only at the level f representation, consciousness, ages, and
Mxd Mxd Smcs I 23
signicaions. To take hold, to ac on subjiviy o drmin whee and when to act, aothe tpe of pross is ndd molur process of subectivit caied out through mhini nslvmns h cirumvent eesentation, consiousnss d signiion Enslvmn mobilizes both oe ad lss hn h prson nd h individud subect insofa s it intens inapesonal d supr-prsonl levels h o mode cobine ad copleen copleen one aothe: si smiois cuate a molr pocesin of subectivit tha trg soliis nd intepelles consciousness rprsnion nd individud subec, wheres signiing smioics u molecular procssing of sm subjiviy mobiiing pri subjiviis ss of nonrxiv onsiousness perpu sysms nd so on W shoud gin emphs he desuon of h subjt nd semiolo hrough pist derriozaion "si dos no invida hun smiois rourse o humn siotc wdend oal o onrol nd modulte the pocess of drrioriizaon an rerrioriiion rd ad ssed by h sin seiotc of techiosci sems econoics nd h colective esouces of the State, destoying revious exisnil itoies, thei values, and thei way of life exmpl of he noneactonay se of signiing semiotics is that of th workrs' moveent the ieteenth centuy, the lr was abl o invn evolutionay reitoializaton that rhr tha simply dfnin those whom pial was destoying wn beyon pialis dteitoialization prolria inrnionism utuiion nd snation lss soidriy wn byond mn in th singulr h mbiuiis ncetaints nd uphvls whih priods of grea chnge lik ours hv xpriened b in pr xplaind by
1 4 Sgs Maces
hi old movement of dttolton nd reerrioriaton. In te Mx lgug Gtt mloy th oker i de oriid n "oduton y gnng smot ad a u lo e gnt of revoltony t s wll a of reaioay reetolaion Ctsm pods ss ndmnt ad oomi dvns tord a posthumn wold ll s peauar rerea towd mn I mov to wold "yond th hum ad i m ttolie itelf odng to tht hih mo pey mot vlg nd mo oly n "mn m hauviim eploia ton w). And ti nssntly nwd tn to ma i o osslity of humansm) is jstd y th oeive ta ogh dtrioriaton nd sgnng semio y kig advntg of them ll s tng gnt them oe mig on olt eyond th humn n other ord eyond eploitton im w nd olonton eyod m poer over omn nd over othr ie ig ad nonivi Paoii an Neo-Ca Neo-C apiali Semioc of anence anence 6 Paoii O a ifiizai f c f jcii i a aza mza f m f i a a a a ia ai f -a c f Ci ac m a m a f i ic a I m f ai icii: mic c ci i ai ai a a ia ia cii ciia a li f maic m F Gaai olons olons Moces oces
xe e 1 5
Ti lanuae o podutio d coumptionand not te lan uae o manappe a pcbl deteminiti. It onl want ommuniate ntiona doet wat to peoate o ext o onvineadvetiin log ee to all tat ie aolo aoini,
Pasolini i uely one of te auto o ave gaped te naue and cioning of te ign ye of "neo-capilis Te way in wic e ee ielf o te li oflingisis d eioic a toe eld developed ove te nineeenh d enie cenuie ineec a any poin wit e work of Gi Te geneal eiology e looks o elbore reognize te coninuity beeen naue and le moderiy hd boken by concenaing ubeciviy o he sbec nd by deiving te obec of capacity expressio Drwing on his exeiee i l he ceed llowig eire's exaple ew semiolog sring om he qesion of he imge By resing o iew he ler as produion of he bri or he resl of or ssem of peepion he is able o oerome the dalism of he imge d hing of onsiousness d he obec e sho ofJerr ags hai d Umbero Eos rel eyes are par of he sme oniuum of ige h osie wold h i conseqenl ine in iel inema i re mecine A in he rs he of Begsos Mae ad Memo, he ee is in higs hemselves; hings re lmios b heselves wih o onsiousess illi ning hem By iig he ee in hings inem nderines he hro oorphi oneio of expressio nd ion higs expess heelves b hemseles onsie cal ois of subeiion; he he owe of exressio lmiosi a i r
26 I Sgs Machies
prt-enunciation and actin specic t he and at in no way dpends on an.
Te Laages of oumo-Pduco at trests us in Plini's gnral seiotics" is hw the lan guag of tings ctions as a nonverbal dscourse," a power r te protoenunciation of realit itsef and, erre, as a site of subjctivation A wt Guattri, eprssion is not resered ony t lingusc signs On te contr in capitalis, epression and enunciaton beong st of to sig nd sboc seiotcs Fr asoni angage is on of te ny possible sstes of signs d not a priviegd sste unto itse£50 Acton, beaor, nd pysica presence are seantc elds, sits of noningistic conicaton T pysical presence of Ros or Boogns rundwn suburbs and teir rcitecure speak, just as n Guattari; they nctin as vectors of subjectivation Tngs ar sources of discrsiviy, dub, ateial, obctiv inert, erey present, which act vectors f enunciation1 hings e iconic signs, iags wich counicate or xprss sing Ts snsitivity t h anguage of thngs te selvs cs o aslinis work as a mker rahr tan o his wr a a witer. Te ge, aidd y the caera, rces i to beco cnscis f and t catalg te things hat a sht contains writer transrs hings into words hat is, into sybols int h signs of a verbl yste wich yboc d cnventnl whil te signs of he cineatographc ste re nting· r r ls tn te tng teseves in hi aterli d reality"2 It is a directr tat he was cnrntd with he iedia f xprssiv presnce of things
id mcs 1 2
Nonverbal dscourse is endowed wit a persuasive power wic noing verbl possesses"53 We c rget wat we ave been taugt troug words but we never rget wat we ave erned troug tngs Te rst ige o Psoinis ife is a wite curtain and tis iage spoke to i objectve" and counicated te wod of is bourgeois cidood to i te universe in wic e was iving We also nd a curain oug red" in Guattari wic also speks counicates and epresses soeing The somber red color oLmy cunai eters ito a existetial costellatio ith ighll, ith twilight, i order to egeder a ucy eect that devalues the self-ideces ad urgecies whh wr impressig themselves o me oly a f momets ago b n h wrd ito appetly iremeiable void.54 Gi species e color's oes o expression in oter words te wa in wic a tng can ncion as a cl point or vector of subjectvaion Even we cannot sa tat te coor red spes" it noneteess consutes b arrangng uan eeents (percepon eor) and nonuan eeents (te crin dusk) te eis tential undation of al epression and l speec: at is n te curtan wat is in te tiligt wat is in eor is ve a euciave ue. Yet it codnt be said t representaion is nvolved Te atter is present sole as part o an eistenta nc ion [ ] Tis eistential nction is orgized in a wa tot erent o tat of denotation d signication"55 Te particuar assebage (coor curtain evening eor percepton etc) eects an regaton a condensaion of steni eeens wc to nondiscrsive re at te bsis of enunciaon
28
Sig ad Mace
A with Guattari, athough the language of things is unabe to estabish invariabe ad stabe signictions, it an prodce modes o behvior which possess te rce o exampe and e se-evidene ophysi presece Nonverb semios, asigniing semiocs the operative tehicosieni ngaes of industy) nd smboi semioogies pouy transred Itaian subjeci durng the 190s and 1970s Neocapitalis is he "second and n bour geois roluo' whose "ultue poduces odes that engender behaior56 Codes do not rst at though verba anguage an its tons of representation, denotaton, and signiaion Neo apitaist ultue puts models of ire into iruaon and imposes odes of subjetion (modes of chiood, te ther he moter, etc) It aunhes (subjecve) modes the way the utomobie indsy aunhes a ne e o cs5 Capitaism mcs e individua, odig his body ad his psyhe, equipping him ith ods o percepton semiotizon, and unonsios endavoring to itoduce bougeois properowner in every worker Since the 190s, capitism has requied om the "deteritorialize worer, someone who goes bon his pofsiona ertse, who lo tehnological innovations or ven deelops a etain creativi a ertain interest Furthermore, a consumer i needed who c adapt aet eelopments58 Pasolini oers he existenial version of the n e of worer laid out by Guati "Power needs a dieren ye of subject enowed with what Pasoin cals "istentia ex bil'he ounterpat to he economi exibili of the abor aetan "absoutely ral easticity in stenes' so tat every one beomes a good consumer5 Th ultua odel oered to the Italans (and to he rest of the wol, a oe to whch they must conform (i e way ey ress, he shoes they wear, their hairstyes, their ations and gestures,
Med emocs I 12
bypasses represenation nd the cogitive dimensions of subjectivi to aect existence isel£ "It is above in ived experience, the existenial, that we nd conformiy to he mode, and thus the body nd behavior as we60 The semiotc eciency of nonverb discourse is ridable becase i aects existenial nctions (Guattari) through domesti cang eecs: "Wha has o be educaed, shaped, is he esh isel he esh as mold of the sir. hese models of conduc and sbecivaion are imposed hrogh a "physic language, a "laguage of behavior, which, becase nonerbal, "is no longer rheorical in he humanis sense, b pragmaic in the erican sense61 Neo-caialism asers he prmacy o languages of clariy, pre cision, conaly, and insrumenal and pragmatic eciency by acang hem o he exressie dimension of humanis langages Durng a hisorical eriod in which verbal language ha become compleely conenonal and emp, subjected to the translatabity, he cenrlization, and the imposed equivency of languages of infratructure, "this physic and gestur anguage is of decisive imporance62 Neocapiaism was acs and resses itsef through "med semiotics, albeit by reversing the semiotic hierarchies in which anguages of superstructure (school, aw, university etc) were once dominant
Te culure o a aio like Iy is expressed above roug e gage o beaviors or pysical laguage, plus a cerai qaiycompeely coveioal ad exremely vacuouso ve guage
1 gns and Mhn
Togethr with the spead of non-denotativ lguag ctn though mimetic contaion, touh aet, aise th molding of anug throuh "tchnique. he tehnooial phomo ke a nw spirliy pmeates lanuae om the root to it extemti its ph d its patiuaites.63 At th ae time as a natona angug o and nique igniing ubstane is imposed, in paticur through the edua tiona ytm and teevision; the oetiv tructur of the State d m communiations a out a ctrliztio of mboi emiotic throuh a new lte of te image, producing a new, paadoicl hdeous expessiit. h hod o subjctivit is er l due to speeh, lanae, prentation idolo, o onsciou han to the lanaes of poducton ad coumpton (to th aigiin semiotis of eonomis and th ymboi semioic of consmption). nolanc and the Italia Culral Genoi
Without a olectv mblag of eoutona' eniaton deployed at the leve of nocpitalst deeopment, te ets of the anuaes of inastuctur indutia, meda, eaua, tc) ae atastoph sine Iti bcome e ts of e onsequen nthopoloia mutato Follown the of te Commuist asto Pasoni spe vn of "cuta enocde Depved of tei popular clur th ne poo e th ds parity between the new neocpitlit culur of mass onsmpon d tei own eonom codiio t i poibl tem cue hat mass onsptio dagl br thm "bcu o th povet at pessts, dsguid by illuory improvemt in the stdad of ivin. he dsapprc of h old popuar culura
Med e
models ad the socioecoomic dispity poduce he ustatio, violece, guilt, ad aggessiveess that Pasolii ideties above i the behavio ad pesece o youg peoples bodies Bee eocapitalism icopoated and subodiated siey n ts ttali the poo expeieced a "segegato ad magnat that alowed them t conseve, epdue and eivet the uue ad ms o expessio The lenletarat o the 1950s wee "blacs i all but ame, ove whom he bugeisie limited its co tol to police epessio wihout bheng t "eagelize them, i othe wo, without botheig to imse ultua models o models o subjectivatio Fom this poit of iew sism was stl a pat o the wold o the st capitaism, o me spea it stood at the itesectio, at the theshold, o the ld and he new capitalism The languages o poductio and nsumptn epesent a me cosideable intena evolution o fascst dtatsp Fasism ore moumtl rtory modl lthou it et uheeed he arious istiti ultus {of th pasts the lupproletit th orkers) otiud uisturb to idti ith thir o models r rprssio as limitd to gettig them quis i ord alo.64
With its "lagages o structue, eocapitalism s at he oots o existece It does moe th demad submissio o obe dience, it molds ad modulates idividuls subjecvi ad lives Govemet is a govemet o "souls s Fouault late wites Various rms of fsism had trsrmd thm ito puppts sr prhaps i part ito u blirs but it di't rly reh th dpths of their sous thir ay of big. Cosumptio
32 I gns and Machnes
oued er nero elve ae em oer feelng oer wy of ing ivng oer uura mode Unle uner Muo ere w no uea, eora reenon bu raer real regeno a aered ad robbe e of ei o65
Histoical scism had exploited rhetorical values lie heroism, patriosm, ad famiy, whereas e "ne scism i [ ] a pragmatism that acts as a cacer on of society-the nationl tumor of the majoity.66 By imposing familialist rms of life and sexulity, the new fascism of cutue, public relations, nd mss consumpton is lmost racist, producing a false tolerance The "new tolernce of consumption, public relatons, and mass culture threatens to turn into a new and more isturbing "intolerance The "new tolerance, todays "poitic correctness, produces adoi eects, since, though wthin neocapitalism "the elites are much more toerat toward sexua mioities than in other eriods, by way of compensation the st moi has ecome more batntly intolerant, more vioet d reoting thn eer ere i Itaian history67 is itoerance, which spread ke microfscist cancer oy sort time er Pasoni's deat, s d its macropoitic expressio in te Nothe Leage, te prty of eery intoerce and eey rectonary reterritoiizto Pasoi ws ndoubtedy te rst to sp te power ofages of production d consumptio d especiy tose expressed troug teeision (which he in ct demded e temporaiy sut dow) Power destroyed te od eedoms, tose of "the poor, workers ad te poetariat, ad creted oters y appropriatng
xed Smits 1
"he demands-let u say he liberl and progressive demandsf libery and, by maing hem is own, chnged their nature and made hem worles.68 The normlizon, standdizaion, he leeing of ways of life and behavior are no longer exclusively he reut of discipline and connement (of wic te Roman boat were a paradoxicl exampe), ut rather te work o the "most sute, cunning, and com ple' tecnoogies o ower to which seiotic surely belong Te laer epr and ititute consumer socie m hedonism, a apparent more toert ierl power tat i reli accoring to Pasoli, more intoert d more destructive t cism
The Death ofthe ad and Machinic Animim Pasolini is very muc aware of te paradoxica situaion capitalism creates On the one hd, it destro popular cules and their sacred "animit vision of nature, hings, and he cosmos On the oter d, trough macnic assemblages, it creates the condions r eineating new coninues beeen subject and object, beteen nature and culure. Lie Guatri, Psolini registers hese contradictor tendencies: rst, he objectivation nd complete rationaization o nature and he comos that maes them exoitae; econd, te osiiit o a machinic nimism that mit mke them acred ain (Paolini) or "reenchant them (Guattri) Poini rit teoretic inuions he gained as a maker Destine to iaear under he capitist contaion, "pouar cuture radoxic oesses an understanding com mensurate wit caitit macinism and, especial, mic macinim Bere te anuae of reaity becae naturl,
1 igs ad Maches
bere it ws overtken by c appatuses, it ws beond the reach of our consciousness. Now, s n nist tradiions, cnema opera�es acculuraon, a animaon,69 and a "subjectvaion of naure such hat it is impossible to disigush it om clure. Capitlism poundly ransrms subectivit by desog the "orl culure of domnated clsses. The smbolc seiocs whch were once used n prmive sociees (of wich a ge part had been reproduced in the peasnt and umpenpoletariat commnies of mode Itly) nd which, at he tme of he rst indsrial reolu on, mested wods, vlues was of lfe heterogeneos t capitlism, re ted to dsapper.70 The culre and anguage of iastucues (he language of producton-consumpo') super imposed on oher clural and lngusic srata rnsrm them nl hey are eliminated. "Subate clss clure [almost] no longer exsts: only he economics of subalte casses exsts.71 The culure that was ding under Pasolinis eyes was peasat (nd lumpen etarit) ctre rasnaona nd trsepochal clre, whch cae om he depths of hst r beer om he absence of hstry) To have an idea of ht catst detertrzatn has meat, one need ony be r th he abrupt drp n the West's rura popuation2 exdus hich has qucy spread to oher parts of he wold, mrng the end of a phase begun in he eoihic period The peasants dsappeace hs bought th t the ds peaance of prcesses of subectvt d nst ad hestc bees that sived despite he cataliat d exrton cred out b the Chrch But ht touches s the poet most s he eacemet of he sacred d he lss the aude towad e wd and tard ohers hch the ast concepon of he rd hods.
M oc 135
The "chaacteistc fur of peasn civiizaions is no tir nding nae 'nat,73 bu rate nmted, subjcvad, saced. Whee capitaism s o desacaiz hings ad peol, o make them obects in ordr o mase, exchange, nd cailiz them, Pasoin los istd o rcrie hem as muc s ossibl Against the capitaist procss h rqes s to rciv only h "inaimate, mechanica rc of thngs, agains te objeciv ad scientc conception of rl Psoni oposs th "subjec te consistency of the s riy74 Some of ths "eigion ndd up in hs smiocs, r, wi Gattai, thee is no be, ssur, or byss bn si nd rli beteen cnten and prssion, cuur nd nur olinis animism is a nd of rssionism since h sign is immnn t the ea In his polemc wih Umbro Eco, Psolini srd is semotics dos not nariz culurl cods bu ansrms naur io ctal hnmn: i rnsrms lif ino seec75 Nate cuue is xrssiv nur; i s o ielf bcue the is a "coninuum wou ny soluion of coninu been a peson wo sys ok r nd e ok r isl£ lar is no h rn of sign ok r, bu sign isf, n iconic sign, ju e ng erson is no rfrn of sin rson, bu living-iconic sign isel£ A rson nd n ok re r "im signs of rali wic cinm mrely reroduc ubjcd nare, animaed culure, i Vdc-inoz Gd, Psolini, wc ss wi isel£ Ev , weer ln or ck, rsss, sin, h gory of immnn God76 Even n wr o los is irilis clm o b ndowd w w ohr sns lck powr of nncon nd rssionhe nonvrb is nohing ohr n nor vr bliy suc he signs of verbal languges do no or n
36 I
gns d Machnes
translate the signs of nonverbal languages and in pticular lan guages of action. \at we have lost with the disappearnce of these non-ntro pomorphic cultures and religions we ca reinvent with the equally nonanropomorphc machinisms of capitlism The cinema revls that realit is not a coection of re" but of "actions Action {as much Lenis s that of an obscure Fiat employee, Pasolini would say) te rst nd prim language of people nd things is the source of ll other rms of expression The image does not only represent it acts pragmatcally on te real and n subjecvi; r it mes us see interenes acts on what "mn' and human subjectii cannot see and do Science industry nd have used the image "diagrati ca r a ng time Computerassisted image r example captues s in a dynamic diagram the nconal articuations of a situan r sstem whch it llows one to anticipate recst and inteene It paicipates drectly in the production of its object his nction of te image iconic mapping that boh registers ad creates possiblities is as identied by directors like Godrd who denounces the way in which the indusry cancels it out Society maintains the possib of using the cinema ad its images as science uses dagrams ad microscopes to see the innitely sm or he telescope to "see he tely large that escapes ma nd his lnguage in order t construct iconic catographies that mutiply pssiblities r actin Like a diagram in movement te cinema: n order to see decide choose and act Cofrnted with d aacted by ic machinism nd its animis Pasoini oers us a polticl reading of iagratc acon and its possibilities he action of the image is indubitably machinic or diagrammatic in the pocess of "moing away om
Med emotcs 3
classica hmanis idls and of bing los in wha Pasolni cas h "pragm' of languags o inasruc Along wih ohr audioi sual chniqus cinma sms o b h languag of hs pragma; i sms o ncion in compl hamony wih capialis drrio ializaion. Bu cinma can also rprsn a chanc r salvaion a possibiliy r a chang o cous rcisly bcaus i xprsss hs ragma"and i xpsss i om h insid by producing is by aking i as is saing poin by oducing i77 h cinma machin is complly nsid l Bu wha mks i apparau subjcion and nslamn lso b rnd ino nw procss r subjciaion oid ha on cogni naur of machinic assmblags ha on abandon h anhoological and humanis psci ha mbus so much o ciical hough h immann owr of im-signs prgrs rmidabl polica pow o auioisual machns lik lision Signs do no s in wold o susucu bu mk up oprav smotics, ow signs whch ac on boh h ra and on subjctiviy Acionimags can also sing th glory of h "Lord, lik th lil birds in The Haw ad the Spaows, in othr words, thy can sing t mrgnc of a nw political subjcivi or sing th glory of capi ha is lgari arrogc, and h impontizd powr of h machinic imag lik Blusconis, whos ris Pasolini had icipad th suprsing lucit
1 38
ig ad Mach
Cfct ad Sg Systems
I coviced hat traterrestrials laded So Paulo tomor ro here old be exens jouralists ad lsons of seciaists to exlai to eole that rell it is ot such ordiary thig hat the ssibili had lready bee cosidered, hat a a ee o he ue has log bee lace, ad, most imorat that there o rso ic, beuse the authori ae here to tae e of higs -Fl Guattari, Mcur Rouon n Br
hat setcs e brht nt la n litcl cnict? hat eanns stres sns rnls, exes schars rce? Is t elca battle? We w attept t prbleati these qestns startn a secic case: the 2003 labr ispte ng recarseple French culturl rkersthe nter ttents sectacle1 The tt f the Crnatin es Intermittents et Prcaires,2 We re the exes! raises t erent k f qestn The rst cncers the natre n nctns f the pert r speciist: h is an expert? nd hat specalists kn an hat c t ? Face th the ncrease in pertise, stdies ata, an statistics,
1
whose rise is directy propotional to the intensi of the coict, intermitent workers have asked themseves on the one han, what special experience d hat legitimacy the eperts have that alow them to evelop an buld kowlege with regrd to their practices. On the other hand, the have questioned what he experts "c do in oher words, the was in which the exper paricipate in ecision making an in the socioeconomic choices that ear on laor employment, and unemployment conditions The second set of questions the motto rises reect on the Coor dinations own practices: ''at o we know? n "hat c we o? n oer wors at is the value and import of o experiences and or words in the production and istriution of knowlede about ? y are our words an knowlede imited and nve n thus dsquaied while "specialist knowlege represents ojectivi ad "uiversity? at power o we have as a oup, a coective, a association, to play a part in the decisions that conce s? hy is our speech institutionay termed "non-poitic? In short, the oto "We are the expers! puts into queston the composition and legitima of the assemlage that "knows nd the composition and leima of te assemlage that "ecides The issue cn e put ke ths "y ont we have the right to partici pate in the colective arranement that prolematzes n plores the possibilities our work, employment, and unemploment repre sent? who has the right an the leiimacy to make decisions about our lives? The moiization of intermitent workers seems to ow the to paths tica of "norit struggles which quesion oth the proceures of the production of emocracy and the procedures of the prouction of kowledge. The ht against culturllabor market rerms constitutes a critique of the knowlege roduced b
40 I gns and Machnes
instiutions (he State, trde uions, business oganizations the med the soial siencs t.) wch ssrt what mst be ten "tr and "false with rgad to coomis social ights and uture It aso onstiuts a itiqu o e poedes hogh whih the insittions oving unmployment insane dene probms ome p with soons nd me deisions The Coodination's strugge rrouds and contests the exis tenc of the hee tansvrsa pacs crsscossng appatses of knowledge podtion, those of the production of demoa and of the podtion of ommunation: dvision deegation monopoly. Th divio of the popultion into exprs and amen nto epe senttives and epesentd, into ommuncations possionas and t pb impes on h one hand h deleao of knowedge pow and speeh to th erts epesnttves and ommntion prossionas; on the ohr hand it ensurs the centzaton of and monopoy ove the podution of knowdge n aoratoies and tink tnks te entton of potic decsion-makng insuons, nd te enazaion of e podon of pi sp m nesooms he podon of knowedge is egd ogh ageements among speiaists made end osed doos Poiica epesentaon entis the centaiaion of and monopoy ove decisionmaking sh ha potic rngements e made and nade among e fe I e same wa a sma nme of jonaists ensre a monopoy themseves over what is said in the media and what nfomaion goes ot By way of these hree main pratices which onsttte technies ontroing behavio and tehnooges of sjeion te oes nd nctions he igh and dties te edoms nd onstain of o socieies ae vved p he batte waged y intemtten ove spech categoies and soses an p ainst a new state and new smioi tecniqes:
Conc nd gn ysems 4
slence he non-xprt, th "itien, nd he publi by mking them spe; rrne r thir xlusion by mn hem partiipat kp hem t dstan by onsling hem, by listenng to thir ganes hough n army of jornists, pes, nd researhrs. W liv i a ommon world signd by he semiotics of markting, avrtisig, onsmption, tlsion, an he Inteet Acss to ths shd smiotis is not only not dnied, it is mpertv: on mt join in, on mt tak an ativ prt The eclusion of h gov h ntralization of thir singlar speech result om th inlsion of thir rm of xprssion wthin iven common smioti space In srllan soitis, a shortage of speech is not th problm bt rathr its ovrabnd, t consensus nd onrmism tht its irulation prspposs an produces Publ spa is strat wh a cration of signs, images, an wors an with a proliration of mchaisms of sbjecion whch, whil noraging an soliiting sph a exprssion, prvnt singular xprssion ad ntrlz htrogeneos processs o sbjtivtion For sinul speech t b possibl, shard comm niation mst rst b interrupted, on mt lav e innit hattr of he med consenss, rc rptres pblc spac, jst in ordr to see, on must remov onsl om incssat bombarmnt of visu clchs In othr words, r on to xist politially nd to eist t l, rather than nt he common worl, th lattr mst be sinulied, ht is, on must pos xistnial an politial erenation by creting nw cleves, nw ivi sions Th spicit of common world, its sinulity, its irn, mst e asserted t a tim whn the levelig ts of inrmtion and socil paticipation ar vey dy rinford3 Singlrity, ivision, nd dierence r not given in advan: thy have to invnted nd constructed
1 I gns n Mhns
Smiotic gims play a statgic ol in th building of this common wold that thy did not hav o that th had a nt way �n discipliny socitis holo ofKnoldg ou cault tund to t poduction of utancs oly in his lst lctus In his lctus at th Collg d Fanc4 h iy ains th lationship tn conomic contol and th con tol of pulic opinion Libal govmnt of socity is a govnmnt of th population whos dul spct must b takn into account Fist it is a govnmnt of th "biological poductiv conditions of t human spcis (ation of biths nd dats dmogaphic magmnt gulation of oduction iss tc) scond it is a govnmnt of th public ov ulic opinion A Foucault points out conomists and publicists mgd at t sm im Sinc th ightnth cntuy t govning of socit s on oth t conomy d public opinion In tis wa govnt action hs xtndd om its biological oots in th spcis to th suc catd y th ublic Fom th spcis to public: hin lis n nti ld of n alitis and consqunl n ways of acing on bhavio and opinions in od to modi way of doing and saying of th govd Todays smiotic govnmntality lis on th dintial mangmnt of th public (subsquntly nsd into audins) which placs th hgmonic managmnt of opinion in discipli nay socitis Th optimizaion of "smiotic ncs aims at th homognization of subjctivit (a lvling of htognity which has no pcdnt in humn histo)5 and tks th m of a nw confomism of dinc a nw consnsus of pluality t i in this nw contt that intmittnt woks bgan a stuggl cusd on th statmnts and mnings of catgois of unmploymnt mploymnt and wok in a shad pubic spac
Conc and gn ysems /
upid by the semti gi jnalsts, ee nd hes The catge uplymt emlyme nd wk ve as s many catchph y lih whch glte nd liit ways actng nd hing Th w assmblge uivsty labates, cnslig di insti nd da ches stands as a veritabl ii wll ginst which h imttents cllided I he cnct, sg smt whih blz s d pesentatn cme nt lay at di lvl Thy pu i diu the blems mtant t iy d im pid by ung them as catchhraes d dplyg h wrld d uiv meanng. Thy nu tpa d i these cathph d uv g d m feenatd publi by ng ph d ippig i te gvd il h k h hph ad wld nd niv ig h di idividu ubjn, the i i pdu ub omzon Gven w arrv t th sltn h quin w k dv Fcalt d Delee mak detemning pbl h stakes pltcs. Dmnant tteanc psntatn, d meanng nctn as a gd" that aects u way ecevng elng, d ndestanding. Evrng that hans, everyhig ne des d eeg tat ne cld thnk and d e scal d ecnmc eld, s assed trgh this grid ments ad eanngs tat es up te hn pn and ein th wrld T call mlyment ad uply mnt th pblm an g ans dnng a amwk ht s
1 I gs achs
the lmts of the possie statng hat is impotant and peeive dening ht is egitimate nd hat is not and iumsng ms of poti ation and speeh. t is in this ay tht, Fou · ut the poe to muate questions is a poe of poltiizton tat is, a poe to intodue ne ojets and ne sujets ithin the spe of potis and to mke them the stakes of a poem d stugge 6 Poematization ntodues into pui spae not on ne ojets d sujets ut aso "ues of tion modes of eation to the sel7 n othe ods modes of posse sujetivation Te inteittent movement y eing the oneptu ameok of te instiuton onsensus eteen the unions osses and the State, y emphsing "ne soia ights te than "the ight to ok diety ttaked the "monopol' on poematization intodung ne poems nd ne questons and thus ompetely ne stakes tought and tion. The gt to poemtize employment nd unemploent s eserved "sol ptnes one (e "odetemnton eween epoes nd oes) Hee s n ote dos, deons e ade tn nstutons tt ve long andoned te pu spee of poltl don ad ononttion e ays of ung nd meung det, ost, nd nvestmen el te que tions eltve to te mpot nd ppose ave een emoved o pul polemtton, om ontovesy, nd enruted to spelst {eonom nteet goups, pe eeaes, State admnsttos, et) Te nsttutions mutul d nd sold o o oes stuggles, manged nd o-mnged me es' epesenttve (eploes' nd oes unon), ve long stoppe pootng te "deoa of lo o te "demoy of podution Te deo of o and poduton a een tnsed nto te "olghal poe of etn unon and
Conict and ign ytem I 45
anageent plaers h codeterination o rench univrsl healt care baed o ordit odel o industrial relation ais to te into account h itrests o ll tee new ubject te u ploed precarious worrs woen the sick andicad studnt etc ad glts te new ocil d politic divisios whic neolibra dirtiaion ha produced since the late 1970s he powr struggl rovoed b the interittent worrs oveent ratd a brif oping in nd diruption o ti onopol on problatizatio Morovr h wors h ob and uneploent cri has beco th mor hs words have paradoxicll ceaed to denot reitis worh of xaiaio and instead ave chnged little b li ito sto phrss r hougt and action elping produce te lihs of ossus h lar now as r th ruth thoe o libralis that o is suposd to believ If loent i uni latrall osidrd h right utio h it is h rit souo hus to rais pomt txs o busiess ust be rdued to inreae laborrket ibii h vl of soia rotetios st all and so r No of hs hs r bee dmosrated r h si raso hat idmostrab h athords o moet ad uomt ost ut h uaab d usab a oi om hih h rravs ad diourses o oer issu om hih h ossibii of seh and odg of os govrig is bo h rrt h riated ad iariuatab rsuosiios of disursiv ratis h ondisusiv a oits of uiao i disourses ertaig h rr of ome isur oomic disourse is rst of struturd b a odisursiv ri hat rees power reaos th dsr r wth iua oitaio ad so o
46 I gs ad Maches
The institutionation and election of problems and olution operated by sig semiotics establish an initial split beteen govement and e goveed. Those who gove have e power to de�e poblems and rmulate questions (which they term "the possibilitie) and establish in this way what is notewor impor tnt, relevant, feasible, worth acting on nd speking about, whereas the eedom of expression of the goveed is ercied the limits of already coed "doing nd "sang, both already settled by the problems and solutions of those who gove A Delee nd Guatari remind us, problems nd signication are always the problems ad signications of the dominant relity; the communications machine of sig semiotics its only to produce and rept this self-evidence The problems d ame works of statemens and dominant sigcations represent real semiic aies to e intermittent workers' movement that fais wihin he cnsensul denition of emploment and uemymen i ieay inadie incommunicable, nd untrans mittable to journalists, experts, and reearchers A one could easily see throughout the conict, beyond most jurnalists bad faith or intellectual poverty, the issue wa nt cogniive ehico poitical Even the most open and welinrmed eole litely did not understand what wa going on ecae the Cdna words, in order to be undeood, preed a modication a diplacement, of the problem. he Inerpreaon d ranmiion of Catchphrae
Wih te catchphrases "emyment ad emploen ad he cnensus that results, the emiotics jnalis ees, and reeachers set in motion enormo ineeatie ad naaive
Cnct a Sn Sst 1
macne s well as a powerl macine r subjecion om which he universe of signiaions ad sene of liberlism emerge. I he t, he excusive privilege of he polii poliicin-namel cin-namelyy seech ic eteie tate problems which esablishe limis on a oi, i toay cosiued at e inersecion of te non icie actice of te mke and a assemblage of taements ecileitot eat exaggeraiono n asemlage of exet, cola, oliss Eeryhing ha hs aeed, is ei, e i inerreed by hese ee ccodng to te " of lem a saemes of modeay capitim o, , e met, compeiion, ec) Bt y i o ecity taes does e assemblae of e or ait, te exet, a e colar replace he politci? Why oes tei exetie te to elce he space in wic te political cootatio of ieig especive once occe? Becaue e cotemoy democtc ytem cions accog to he elief tat ere i no spute no disse poible concernng he mplci peuppoiios of he ocial consensus If here is agreemen ha he damen soil issue is emome he dere derece ce in opnions beteen he labor union (o guaranee he righs of nonexecuives) and business managemen (o guaranee he preogaives of humn capil) can eaily be reconciled by he exper His mediaion/ inerpreaion is largely sucien in isel£ Te cic machinery assii ole and ctio mong poliici, exe scholar and oait only break o hen, as haee ing he inermittet' truggle e coe o employmet i repdiaed we oliic ce te oci io reracts is assen o he implii presuppoiions conveyed by he dominan cacphrasesaemens and produces noher collecive collecive assemblage of enunciaio enunciaio om whih singur speeh s peeh
148 gs d Maches
cn cn be depoe dep oed d To do so so it is not enog to ib ibete ete speec spe ec om the pptses o power; it mst be costcted Tt is when te netwoks o powe e conoted wit competel new situton situton Feel dng our sprtion om the work of Michel de Certeu, we c describe the th e constitution, constitution, interpreton interpreton,, nd nd trns trns mssion of ctchphrses produced b the ssemblge of experts, reserchers, nd journlists n the lowing w he resercher hs the tsk of interpreng the sttements tt dene wht i mpotnt, wht is notewor r socie nd, needs be, to plin them usng his specized knowledge The expert cts s meditor nd trnstor o ths specilized knowledge in the nguge of polticl, economic, nd stteministrtve decisionmkers In turn, the me selects, interprets, nd trnsmits te reserchers nd experts stemen b rermlting them in e nguge of pubc opinion, b ciclting them wthn the shred semoc spce mong derent diences he discourse on emploent, unemployment, nd work ths s its spekes interpreters, nd trnsltors s wel s its siers wic ense te coherence beteen erent pes of sttemets te cocepts o scholrs, the judgments of experts, nd te opinios o joist jo ists) s) nd beteen the pptses t pro dced tem te niesi the medi, the tnk, etc) We cn sightl djust djust de Certes theory n sserting tht the bnce of power beteen the journlist, scholr, nd expert weis rgel in vor of the rst, snce the medi clls less nd less on outside nlsis {ofe {ofe intellectul or expert) Indeed, scholrs nd experts re thus rced to become jourlists if the wnt to conr to the norm of moded communictions 8 With the ssemblge o scholr, pert, nd journlist we hve rst regime o sigs of interprettion nd communiction The regime entls
onc d Sgn Sy Sys sem emss 49
cetin conitions: First that sigs efr to. sigs indetely, sice te discours prouc is absolutely tautological d abitry; secon that thr ar catgoris o spcis (resche expert jorist) whos "job it is to circte ths sigs, to sy wht thy me, to intrprt th to threby z the sige; d thid hee must still b subjcts [det auiences] who eceiv h messge, who istn to th intrpettion and obey9 It shol ot b hrd to s that by way of s ssblage we re descbing a metmorphosis of "pastora power, a nw "pest nd a new ock Th assmbag ts te public in hd mployng the "gov ovrmnt rmnt of sols sols semoic technoogis of a "g he Scoa of Coc
Th wok o Pirr Mch Mnge, ha of esrch at te Cntr iol de la rchche scintique rsarch dector at th Ecoe des huts tuds scincs socias irctor of th ntr sociologi s arts an "specist in th socioo ofabor d th arts prfcty atches th sciption of how ths ssbags nction sce his work provs th ia wt statnts ray mad to b pass along "son bites perfcty adapte r govrg pubc opinion so s to ns t succss of "rrm On th on han tey mak trittent poymnt an "excepton of the job kt an on th othr han prnt mploymnt te instrmnt an asr of th n to regat th too an' intrittnt workrs ovrheing ctur pouction By king th catgory of prannt pont th go an ssnc of socia an economic act Mengr sts th lmts on possib an resonab activitis on th cutra ob rket vr thing outsi his awork is isqua s nv irrational
50 I
igns d Machnes
utopian et) he employment poliy r the utural setor this sholar proposes poignantly shows how isiplinary apparatses ae spposed to work work in a srveillane srveillane soiety soi ety His His most most reent reent book book is based entirely on the disiplinary distintion beeen normal (stan dard employent and nemployent) and abnoral (oasional eployment and unemployment) a its tile learly indiates: Intr
mint rkers ociolo o an Excon.10 For Mener jst as tese jos are not ordinary we are not dealing with ordinary joblessness [ ] he rules governing inter mittent workers unemployment over atially atypial risk Bt exeptio ex eptional nal exbiity exbiity has onsiderale onsiderale onseqenes onseqenes Extrao Extraordi rdi nary neployent and employent atpial riss and overage of atpial ris exeptional exibilitythis is the luae of the disipliny exeption Menger wraps his aruents aout the ultra setor and intermittent staus in a sholars rais that aims to redue and onne the issues raise y the intertent moveent to the reassuring aework of he anor he ep tional, and the atypia he ob poiies to ipleent ust eradiate te exeptiona an reestalish the nora ntionin of the job jo b market marke t whih provides provides r r oth the return return of the enre preneurs ntion (his autonoy) and the reimposition of the employees (his sbordination) in order to assign eah their plae (heir rights and dties in the politiians and sholars argon) within the division divisi on of laor o o put put it in Durkheiian ters a "diret and organized hierarh ust be reestalished in a job aret made nrly by behavior ot of line wih e norm of apital-laor relations We know hat the norma ntioning of the jo aret is not "natura but rater mst be proded and reproded via he ontinuous interention of job poliies This is what "rerm is meant to do
Cnlt and Sn ym 11
Undaunted by paradox Menger even manages to blame inter mittent emploment r neoliberal policies: There is no use condemning widespread job insecurity we we l to realize at it is the system of intermittent emploent itsef that creates insecuri o f the job maret maret is part part of te very very princip principle le of [ ] The lure of intermittent wor.12 The assertion neglects te ct that over te lst yrs insecu h aso sprd to secors of te econom I ny cse remars are disproven by te rli of those woring in te job maret's cultural secor who are not covered by inteitent worers' unemployment insurce I 3 n professions whose ctivities do not provide the rights of intermittent emploment te same (but worse) phenomena of underemploment and nsecuri have also emerged Without a compensation regime regime lie lie that that of intermit intermittent tent worers worers'' individuls individuls eier have recorse to bsic welfare benes or must e on seerl os order to suive To turn Menger's viewpoint on its head, we migh say hat if inequity is more acute in these sectors of the cutual o maret (and in eery sector where discontinuous employment exis) it is precisy because of the absence of a com pensation egime egime that accouns r te discontinuity discontinuity of emploent emploent and the rms of o f wor and training in a exible exible econ economy omy Pover underemploent d enormous dspities in income are not a ction of the intermittent regime but of the exible organization of the cuture dus and the way i job maret nctions at is happening here is what hs ready happeed in other p of the economy over the last thir yes: a poli of l emploment (creating rea stable ltime obs) that negects the actual contions of poduction nd diides and agments the job maret by creating a gwing dispari among incomes t seres oly to er direnate, to her mulpl inequi and thus
1 52 I gns and Machns
to crte the idl terri r neoberal control of the job market so that it rther instal itself and extend its reach. Emploment policies are subordinated to the logc of liberlism because they do no ore thn segment and subsequently dierentiate and increase the cometition beteen "guaranteed nd non-guaranteed work, eteen secure ad insecure employment, and in this way enable he po of "optimizing dierences, of derentia management of inequalities of contro of behaor on the job market Unempoymen d Inisibe Work
"Unempoyment plays a strategic ole in neoliberl signications nd narratves Neoieral anlysis ends up at he same discipinary istncion eteen normal (unemploment benets as instuted aer the a and anorma (unemployment benets as used, abused, nd approprated y intermittent orkers). wth the experts of ctursector empoyment policies, Menger would like to bring the unempoyment benets whose use has been pererted by intermittent work (because the benets nance cultural and artisc actvity as ell as intermitent workers' ives) back to their soced natura ncon of smpe coverage against the isk of job oss But enger ke most experts seems to ignore that wthin a system of"exe accumulation, nemployment changes meaning nd ntion The cr d distinc separaton beteen emploment and unempoment unempoyment as the wrong side of emplo ment estaished thin a ver erent system of accumulaon (the standardization and continuity of production and, thus, st iity nd continity of empoyment) has transrmed into evernarrower imricaton of peiods of work, peods of unem poment, and periods o tranng.
Conlic and gn sems 53
hen we look at th cutual setor, th rst tig h jumps ou i he dirpay bt labor and mploymt. Th dua ion of he ltr covrs t duato o ral work oy in part nermiens' lbor (ducation apprtcship t circulon o nowlede nd ow-how t rms o coopraion tc.) includes periods o emplot ad umploym witout i bein reduible o eihr. 14 Th im o mployen oly prtill orrepond o he labor ducato ad ooperativ prcti interiten underak. Th dvlopmts are no rct bu dt b o the 1980 Hec umplomn nno b rducd to a period wiou lbor civy. Uneploen benets o o over he ri o job los but lo urnee inoe cotiuity, ervin o produe nd reprodue he overlppin of l ths prc ies nd eporliis r whih he worer i in i as no otll reponsible he woud be i oher eor Menr' u on ("uturl) employe nd e e o soluion he dvoe prevn hi om graspi he econo chags w re now iving hrouh Given e iuion of inerit en worers, e CERC Counil r eploen, inome, and soil oheion repor on job seuri 5 i opleel righ For i onider he phenoen we obere mon inermien work te rue rter hn e epion or n bnori "The sraior ward sp beeen eploen nd uneploen, been slaried wor and eele wor, has been replaed b a kind of ho' of eploen, ud saus, a one uneployed and slried, r ple, or eelane and sried while e pes of labor conra hve ipied reuar horer, inerien, or iner wor on 6 The upposed "ceptio' of inermitn wor is becoin he rue of he salrbad se, ju as he ineriten soiion hve ben ruin since 1992 The
igns and Machies
"ordinary o taitional ategoi Mengr wold lie to eestablsh r the system of intrmitent wok hardly ncion even in norml. setors of the eonomy Contrary to his assetions, te deence ben intrmittent unemploymnt and unemployment other setors rprsnts a eene in dr nd not ki Th gand nrrti o employment (or lmplomnt) is tus interpete, spon o an staged aoding to to non-cona toy scusi logics: th poteton of longtrm slarid okes nd th protction of th nepeneu nd businss The eason these iscourss r not contaitoy is that thy condemn te system of intrmitnt mployment but r dirnt rsons On th on hnd nolibrls do so beause, lthouh thy xploit the systes mobility and exibility tey do not want to pay th pric r it in terms of unmploymnt insuane ("It kills comptition It maes pople lzy) n th oth han, with incrsing prcrity, thee is the ris that th continuiy of incom nd rigts at intemittnt wor gurnts (n paialy) espite sonuous employment oud be imitate in oe setos of pecaious ok Unions an the e, teir pat, ant notng to o i e nteten eie, since hei objetve is empoyment, ote os, ea jobs eal atists an rea pofessionas oug leave s ast pat out) ntemtent wo is only a last esot at must be emnate on e ay to te stable empo ment t te unions ae moe omfotabe t is not a to unestan te roe e scoa Menge as paye n te bae ove isourses an signs Te eoe o epts an ntepetaons of te onit e s avane ave been pied up b e ea beause is souse on empoyment in he ltual seto, e eit, he neessay egaon a sta adzaton o e a too muc, an so on, as synoe
c ig ss I
perfecty with the crc mmens f the intermitents' strgge nd with the interpretive &mewrk f jrns, experts pti cns, nd nn bsses. Hs cncets hve prvded the wtchwrds tht ciclte in the med, reinfrcng nd vdtng by wy f this crctin ther accr nd stng pwer The press and, bve l rdi nd teesn feed these inter prettns nt the dscrses nd speech crcltng wthn institinl nd scal netrks Th seect pes' sttements d ther cntent trslte them nt lngge r eveyne mng the infrmtn bth ttcie easi gestible ey e n s y ctve ents !n ts pprpran a trsrman The stateents te mei chse hrght e intermients' strgge n rer t chane nsmt a acr them in sc netrs pbic pin nd rin gage re n sprse here se c trasate thse stteents n empyment e a f spp a ea nd bsness in ters reectng e necess nd ietae regltin f e t mch. he mei ls chses mng sttements &m e inteitent wrkers' mvement, erecting wht we hve ced vertbe "setic biers n the rdintin's demns limiting them t clms r the prtectin f nemplyment insrnce specic "rtsts The mei brely pcked p n the "spectcl weeklng cc ptin f the rf f the French ntinl emplyers' nis hedqters Ths as ecse e Crinin a cime p tere demng n erha f e tate en n epent17 n speccy rgh reve f he nempent sste nt tht prt f t reting t ntermittent r de f exceeing the cntex f ctr nd istc exceptin in ch nss were appy t cne the ntermttents strgge. Althgh ne cd d in the mei sme smpthy r nd interest
56 I
gn d Machne
in tose "rtists who ught wth the determination of a bygone age there was noneteless a complete black-out on everying that ent beyn te iea tat the sme media had of e nctons d role art an artists in scity h ude of "la' voices xprssing themselves trght t cct hl aost n . eight among the meia cs h s t at bst r man-i -street public opinion r te , lgitiate, xpert voice s enough to slenc te jbberrs h il t nrstn tat if te ob ret is reglt, it is y r its n g Te NaveFucon o S Semoc he meia des mre tn cucte ctchrses It aes m deploys them in erss ages wrds and sins through stries a nrrates tt cnsttute te real rather tan describe it De Certe ctely yntsizes tis ne narra tive-ction f sigg semiotics: he media transrm te grat silence of things into its opposite orme constitung a secret, the rel now talks constantly ews reports information, sttistics nd sueys are eeryhere o story has eer spoken so much or shwn so much [ ] arratins of whats-gong-on consttute our rthod Debates about gures are our theological wars he combatants move rrd cmoaged cts data and eents h present temselves as messengers of a reali [ ] But n ct th brcate [it], smate it use it as a mask accredit them selves b it, d tus create the scene of their la18 he nunction conveye by te asigni seiics of grs sttisics, ad decits is translate into a dscrse tat issues t can t Be qet! his is wht, beteen t ls ournalists te rss, the tlision hst and litical rersnttives express i te hl of
Conc gn sems I 57
stat and uveys: "'Th a the cts. Hr r h ata, the cir csanc tc Thrr you must . Narrad realit constantly tll u wha must b blivd and what must b one19 Stor an naraiv actualize emplyment an unemploy mnt ino wld and univeres f iscuse an meaning Unmployment i at nc inprete an narratd an illess of te soc bdy at must be cured tough emplyment and h t f ecurity scees at·must e connuay t abut n cntinualy stage ru te gures and stastis tat n an appa t th spc f experts schas an he unmpe tem slve An a s sees _n te ppse an t inteze tough the puic reans macine the inqualitie the ecnmy exacerbates Narates hae a cnjunce nctin �ince tey compnate e grng isjucues ceate y e iision of lao ierenia trment insute b pubic epyment plices an satges f egmentain f te j maet Wile cmmuncaig f icurses n unempyment a pmte a poject r m?bilizing te pblic the tr Signing semiotics pduce restatie meaning by priding trgh mployment a commn ame f enc te mlplcaton f eences (ineuali f status incm acces t urac c.) The commn efeence i ant t bind te diernc ogeter to estabish a coon gol I he batt employnt dscues strs and nrraiv prodce the posibility r a realit ecncild wih ilf Thy provide the image f th rdiscovee uniy of ocity (agan ocial conict t image f cri (of employn) ha r ar Unploynt tus allows r t unelening rptton of narrav ha constitute indiul as ictim of h maket an glbalization (th pliticl an le-wing tad union ersion)
58 I
gns and Machnes
as rsponsble r ther stuaton bause o thr own behavor (th nolberal rhtn vrsion) ut the "rand narratve o employment does not have th sam powr o subjecton and ntr naliation as the story o the naion or "proress. It s a ll "dra o surty that rqures h mobilizaton o the entre soci r nntsmal chans n unemploymnt whose calcaton tsl is subjct to very nd o anpuation imanable. n Ma o you now wht you hv to do to kp omeone om peing n hi o he own nam? Hv him y "I Gille Du Two Remes ofe I kow vey w tht pop in cou ce l bou
pychonly Frud or Lcan B he bc mchne of ujcvon poduce by pychonlyi o he me mgne m n o on ctinly lo pn n wh e plc n he . F G ocur ouo i ri A na nn risd by sg smiois to b d
ar ar not imitd to consing intrprtn and trans mitting atcprass h ncioning t smiti mahin r interprtin nd transmitting m is indistingisabl om t nctionin a subjtion macin On mit n say hat t pos o intrprtain nd nsmission is podion o sbtin In sriy sietis a praiy o sign rgims oist W av rady anayzd on o tm h ircuation/transmission
onc and gn stems 5
ementswchwds The proces f ubjection repreents nhe Here gn no longer efer to gn within circle closed upon elf but he o he ubjec Sign gnictions nd te men d not e o their wn eproductn bu to the limis of he ccutin cnuted b the ue the subjec mkes of them in de ct n nd r himel£ mjor g in of post mde cmmuncons theor (Budrilrd Virilio ec) tht it ec ef the em of ign wile neglectng he pecc f he pcs of ubjecivit production nd he en he ef If the le i the surce of new rm of dmnon o be n pporunit r rdicl brek wth he ens f pwe nd knowledge of securi societie n this ecnd emc egme sis d heir nctioning re one f he condn f he pcs of of subjectvit producon Deeuze nd Gutrs nlsis of pchonlsis c l help us undend hw semiotic subjection mchines ncin Pschn epeen proces of disciplinr subjecon; becuse of its ncement pek t cin n ppru th be on the one hd t "pin the subjec-ncon on the bod f he indivdul nd on the ther hnd t preven sngulr stte men om being rmued Pchnlsi emerged nd deveped the moment when dicplinr societie begn to turn n cnl ocete Thu whle he pchitic hsptl is disci pnr pprtu pctcng i techniques on the bodies nd menl reli of the sick ced spce pschnlsi is secur pprtus exercisng power hrough peech on the bodie nd mentl reli of the ick within n pen pce Such it i nled n A-Oed, pscholsis invented strtegies r the construction f the ubject wich were depled in two princip ws: b "dcrediing the ingulr speech f
1 I gns d Machnes
the individul hrough intepetation and, one discedited by eonstuting it as a "ivized subjet's speeh in acodne wih he behviol mode of subjects within the "faiy. Eveg he ptent sys is interpreted ough a partiuar mewok o sml numbe of utteranes (pp, aa, phaus, csttion o signer e symboi, or ak in te ore deterritorialized Lcin vesion) ment to unover the epessed eaing of singul speech Strting om the disrediting interetation whih eloctes he oigin nd e sense of the uene i the fial tnle o in e signie, ad by basin itself on the ptient's enuncition psychoalysis resoiaies the subjet by constutin him s n individua who cets, adapts to nd idenies h he dominant mode of individuation of cpitlist sociey (he fmily nd its psychi apparatuses (id, eo, supeeo) at interests us Deeuze nd Guis wok is e ct t he eneraiation of this appus of subject poducion is not gunteed i opetey developed secui soieties by ho nayss but he by te "tor ounicaon and teniques of the wefae stte The tions of ontro over and standrdiaion of eniation ad the tions of subjetion ssured by sycho anysis ( deibed i iOedi) are iced up, ued, ad geneied by as ouations s a materi aaatus ad by inguis and ayti hiosohy as theoretical apaatus (deat with at in Thoad Ptea}. Pychoysis ut the a touhes on a seies of "tehnoogies the onstrution of the subjet which in turn sead to the soia siences ad today onstitute in a siied ad ioveished he ways n whih the edia ntons. 2° Foing on television, we sketch out a broad outine of how these seuity aparatuses of subjection wor, aaatuses whih at on ad though seeh by shutting u te
onc and gn sems 6
public an aking it spek ccoring to the rs o te coon spac o counication Like psychoanlyss televon nctions base on mll nu ber o alray coi tteents its "gri bout te doinant rality in our exaple t ans th econoic statement o the arket coptition and eplomnt/uneployent), which it ks to ake th stateent o niviual subct There is nothing natu bout th subctnction in comu nications n laguag On te contrary it ust be contucted n ipos Accoring to Deleuze n Guattari th inivduted ub ect is nithr a conition 9 lnguag nor th cause o utternce In rality th latter are not pouc by us as subect, but by sothing ls ntirely: mutliciti ses d mob peol and tribes collctiv arrngements they co tog ty re within us an they rn own to 21 mtlc tt excs th iniviu ms p nd t i om mltplc that w produce uttenc e no bject, tee e only colectve emblge o enncton tt oce uttence "[]e uttence ] wy colectv ven wn t ee to be emtted b ot ng e tt o te tt22 e televsion cne tct o tee coectve e blge, om the tc o vrb nd nonveba eotc tt tvee nd constitut tem, ubject o enncton wo ut mold mel to a subct o utterce, n ot wods ubect cgt n stateents corresponng to televon "ty, n wo mt dapt to a aewok o pebcted enuncton elvion ushs u to spak as ubject o ennciton we wee te cue nd th origin o our statement, wee we are oke b te counications achn o wc, ubject o uttence, we e no longer anng ore than one o the eect 2
162 I gns nd Machins
I r exple, you e interviwed on tevision (whether o a
literry progr, tk how, or a reliy show) you e inttuted s ubject of enuniton ad subjet to machine whh tkes over 'you s nd rmoty gude your sigul expreion tough smiotics attaching you to te doiant utterne. n syonysis tlsion is abe to pas o utercs t onfor to e dominnt r of capitism as te uercs of indidul by nt of itretao and discriting) nd ubjeco hne Televiion ue a th inguistic nd non-ingut, verb nd nonvrba ontuents of t ucition. Frst you fl under the contol of nondusiv mahine tht ntrret selets nd stndardizs you tttude oveent, nd expression bere you evn tt sekng Televiion ncton bsed on ll nuber of redyad utternce well s on eleton nd ipoiton of nonverbl semiotics ( cetn ntonon, en leng ad adence of sch certn behvior ertin rhyh certai gsturs ertain lots cen olor pte i t desig "cos tes a rtn rngemnt of t space in whic you s a etain aing of t mage etc) A a subjet of euciatio yo are t a rebricted aiovisua smiotics Your voic yor gestres and your intoatio conform mor or ls amaby to od aaratse of ression24 soo as yo oe yo mout yo pas throg t iteretatios of t iscrsiv mcie T joaist is bt oe tria wich t t of othr trmins of te itrpretig mahie t rt t speciist) deteries t ossibe remainig ga betn yo eunciation your subjectivation your sigico ad t utteranes te subjctivato te sigcations expctd of yo Noting uexpted ver haps on tsio and it dos sometig sighty out of ac it is ieiatey notcedtat is
nc and gn m 63
how thoroughly eveg is odied At the end of the interiew you are a subjet of utterane a subjet aut in utteranes in on rmity with televisual logi an eet of the semiotis o the interretation mahine whose eriene i tt of a subjet of enunaon the absolute ause and oigin of what is sad With regard to syhoanalysis Deleuze seaks of the "rushing of enuniaon by a resng ode. This is not suered negatvely as reresion but rather osiively as enouragement to se u as a romt to ress onesel suh hat e subjet "has he imres sion of tng [ . .] but he w never be able to get to what he rly has to Try as one might e enre interetive and subjevaon mahine "exsts to suress the ondions of re exression25 The more you exress yoursel the more you seak the more you beome art of he interativity of the ommuniaion mahine he more you give u what it i you have to say beause the om muniaional aarauses ut you o om your own oletive assembles of enuniaion and onnet you to other olletive assemblages (television) whih individualize you as a slt subjet as a double subjetboth the ause nd eet of ueranes Psyhoanalysis experiments wih tehniques r ontrolling and roduing subjetiviy By onentating on the enuniation rather than utteranes these tehniques hen migrate to other domans eseiay the meda mnagement he individu monitorin of the unemloyed and wee reiients and so on: "hile to ahieve their ends religions at by diret suggestion y the imint of standardized reresentations nd statements at let to ein wih syhoanalysis gives ee reign to a ertain indvidu expression [ ] hile reigion de I say it stratjakets sujetivi in the oen air syhoanysis gets rid o some of he t of sttements in order to onentrate its eos on remodelin enuniaion [ ]
1 6 gns and ac
[S]o-ced 'ee interpretation is rapiy cheed by iiess semioic remote contro"26 De Cereu comes o he same concsions: the proiferation o s�emens, messages, d signs reves he codios r singlr enucio om emergig. The coinuous droe, he iesst crclo o words d sis om he commo semo ly stadrzed wold cre absece o seech Public sce, srted wh sigs, communions ad discourse aruses, mkes i imossible r eole t rm encion h migh be ale er ow.7 order o ricle re" enucio resiglarizes a shred semos which hs the caciy o creae ew ri, oleml ois o ew h wich we migh ress orselves, we mus iterr he circlio o he lguges, signs, a medi semios met r veryoe, bu rue r o oe. he rues o eucio i our secur ses (sur veys, mrkeg, eleios, uio d oliil rereseo, etc.) re on the oe hd, more or lss sohisied vios o e indeenden d resposible speech rodution o the indiviued sbjec h citl d, o he oher hd reshiogs o e creive/desrcive process o its ee seech A voer, you are clled o o express your oio d to exercise yor eedom of choice s subject o enuciio; hoever, a he same ime, you e soken r s a subjec o erce since yor ee eressio is limited o choosing beee possibiitis ta hve lredy bee codied by ohers beee tetivs (righ nd le h re vet you om eercising he ower oroblemaizo. I beig asked he right qeston? Does i coce me? Is i rely impor to m? For ong me ow voters have sered o hey bstai or hey voe t eliminae he les wors choice oers hve ready made I a sml gp rems beee your enuiatio and h
Conc d gn sems / 65
which is expected of you, opinion pols re there to steer you n the right direction. 28 Wit te proliferation of opinion pols, your votng decision ends up ttng nto prebricated molds, not taneoly (during the election) but over time In the same way, mrketing d adverising proide daily trainng in the choice to mke beteen eaves set and oered by the market and business Elections, meg, advertising mutuly reect and reinforce each oe.9 Le oinion pos, e marketng nd union nd poltcl reesenaon, elecons presuose rior consensus nd agreement on oblems issues Given s i s understandable wy the commicaons machine mg con as a huge colective psy coysis aslates wa you say nto another language, it sis e og d the sense of you words nd explains to you your rue ueces ad ac esies (by givng them voice), which busesses c en lug ino Television peecy exemplies ow security apparatuses of owe ncion in the way that Foucault describes, since it assures e govenmenality of souls through the production of "ee dom (of seech and expression). Free speech is not a natural given one needs only to respect and protect. It is a correlate of the apparatus of power which must be produced an reproduced The art of governing has "he ncion of roducing, breathing li into, and increasing eedom but through "additionl control and intervention.30 I is necessary, Foucaut says, to "roduce eedom, but this vey act entails he establishment of limtaions, controls, rms of coercion, and obligatons relying on threats.31 Security apparatuses at once produce and desroy eedom. The eedom they produce is one of enunciations and expressions codied and homogenized by the media. The eedom they
1 66 I Sgns d Machn
destroy is that of inventing, creating, experimenting with singuar rms of pression and speech. O the rre occsions when activist groups have been invited to teleisd debates, we see how the subjection machine works The "eedom of speec' nd expression exercised thn such strictly codied limits and conditions transrms into n injunction to conrm speech to the prebricated models of communicaon, to shape activists statements to t the template of statements nd rms of thought of the journaists and experts with whom th re oen ced For media to work, it needs ndiduals to accept, actively or passivel their implicit presuppositions, their rms of enunciaton, and codes of expression. this does not happen, s wth an inter mitent ssociation member during a live interiew on French teevision, the interiewer immediately senses the threat of alteri d, tough usuly cm nd cid wth guests who accept e impicit presppositions of televisual enunciation, he goes sti displayig a verbl aggreiveess and violence that betrays his fear of a no-reprogrammed broadcast Because what ighten the memer of e mea re events they do not create themselves They mt immediatey rasate everything that happens into their o vocauary hat is h wen coonted with a real event ike te itermittet movemet, the medis rst objective is to isoate e ero seig om the connections that make up his colective emage (aemblies, colective action, the Coordina on) nd rce a soeeron, a representative, a leader, out of im, someone ho o seks r te others and expresses himself accordig to e medi code, temporaities, d syntactical ad excl costri (he i he according to joulists, be uder stood to e uic e media is composed of apparatuses
Conc and gn I 6
conceived and constrcted to be always "at home n te common word of democratc speec nd pression, whatever happens d wherever tey appear. During one of the intermittent workers' collective actons, r exaple-the occuation of a television news program-intermittents demnded te "right to blunder wen communicating, in other words, tey resed the media codes governing speec an exression and resed to be aught in te appratuses of subjection, to allow themselves to be cut o om their own assemblage. n this way, they revealed the conditions in whic singlar speech cn be spoken The commcations machine is thus a selecton machine, plcitly lowing the same rles as those of codetermination, wh ses limis on oitical nd union reresentation and terere o legitimate speec. f oe wts to have a sot beteen "legit mate representatives te ere mnonthestreet te media norly welcomes in orer to s ts agrant lack of"realt, one hs to make a lot of ose or e onesef known troug "nru activit to be o te news In any ce, inevitably this stll not be enog se e meda can only commnicate the imits of te sses t has dened in advnce The oltical tas bere us is to discover, deploy, and give consstency to colecve logics, to te eople who are in us nd who make us speak and ts to wom we produce utternces This is what Delee d Gattari have in mind when tey set "a whole ed of experimentaton, of personal nd group experi mentation aginst both psychoanalysis d traditionl politica orgations.3
1 68 I gn and Machnes
"Scum ad he Ciique f Pefmaives
We gove oe other coverstio through hole series of tctics. -M ucult, D e c vol 4 The reltioship estblished betwee replies i diloguee reoship of uo-rpose seroobeco mo greemet, oercceptce, orderexecutiois impossible etwee uies of lguge - B Speech Genre and Oher Lae ay
is he relatiship eee scil mies d discursive mchies? We are goig o exmie his relioship wihi he specic cex f Nicols Skos 200 rech presidei capaig which ocilly eg while he ws sill Ierir Miiser O hpthesis is he llwig discursive mchies re sethig her th lnguge [ e ou le ae] sice hey iply a liplicity f sigiig d sigiig semioics ech logies ctis and so h do opere ccordig t perrmtive lgic i compleely dere regier. iervee i he scial a par o sregy goveig cduc ha cios a he evegeerig dic cio upo cio.
6
In order to accu r he poltcal ncon f lnug, bth te heories of ctn feminists n the Unite Stats an pst operist heis n Europe draw n anlytic phsphy -an especily on pmavs n sch a way hat nstanding linguistic agncy seems t vry ct. Sinc th d1990s we hae seen a eturn n c f antc phsophy n Sassrn linuisics at a te whn few wld hav ected t gvn the pst sructrlst ctiqs f th 1960s an 70s an th poltca criiqe f th semotcs f powe 1 he 'bsoe" Performave
The tun t permatves by pstoprst talian thy (Pal Virn2 Chstan Maazzi3 n t a lesse gee Ng/Hat4) s quit spsng gvn that t seems t hav est a msn dertanng abut th vy deniton f patves hu i aatas sk to radcalz patv thy by ntcng th cateor of "absolute perative (Vino) Yet it etas nly a prtion of J L Austin's denitin,5 nmely ha h nnciatn accomplishes rather hn dscibs an action By sayng "Court s hreby i session "I ord y n the name of th popl pomis you one does nt bsr a siuaion or a stat f is bu rater does wha one says Accrdin o Ausins thy th rce f he pate is that it enils a "social blgatn (n he cse of a pse i naes he person who says t at th sk of"losing c; n the cas f a quesion he persn t wh th questin is adss s sup psed o respond at th rsk f ntping he convsatn) In accomplishin th patie ttance he speak asigns hm sf a role nd ssgns hs lsene a cplemenry l Th rce
1 70 I gns and Machnes
of the permative esides in the ditribution of "rights among speaer. The emative deteine obligation suh hat ln gag� nos a a d ofvt intitution "incorpoag n rray of onveno ole hat orrepond to te rge of soiy eo nized speeh at.6 Wat is stronly emphized i the "onveional non of lnguae s a reodutio of oial obligatios, in other word its on of reproduing ready intituted oi relation. Ts seod and denal ondition of he peave is inexliably abdoned i the pot-operaist heory of languae suh tat the uterane "I pea whih i not a ermative, i trasrmed into an "absolute perrative a verb hat, aodg to Virno hraterizes toda ommuaton oiety o to to oom. t, "I spek annot be a perative ie te eut ofte utee is mere iforaon o wi no oblato' o It institutes o "rght no onvention no role no dtibuton of power 7 Even it aopse wat it tates it i neerteless not a peratve " pea' an terane a ouniate ome ng but it doe not at on e ote does not eate a new iuaton r an interloutor w would oblge h to aount te t tat the utterne wa addeed to h (by epondi obey not obeyng epetn a poe not respetng it et) we tik to Au eoy ee ost no ae n wi pea' t e onideed a perave. Te denition of abolute peative redued to the imple ntion of reondng te eent of language itot nttutg an oblgaon (te t tat one pea that one ter venes at one etalies a interbjetive relation totay neutalize te impotane ad ipation of Autin's theoy.
·m and he rqe o Peoaes 7
rmative theor upendd bo t categois o linguisics nd ustins teory itsel£ Fo on mus membe te eor ws criticized and surpassed b its v inventor vin dis inuised perrmative wt on dos wen on spks om t constiv dsciption o stt o frs Ausin bndond he opposiion utncs a pmtive since vn const tives se o ccomplis spc ct som sittion ud ins considering prma tves linuistic xcption nd inoducd a new cato e ilocution ct wic ncompsss prmatve as a pticuar cas n tis scond vsion l o ou urances and not only pmatives s to ccomplis ctn social act t insi tuts n obigation toug linguists accptd s vsion te lik Ben vniste rejcted te second Bcus it pus e rmer radic in question linguistics as b nd l d o xploit its possibiiies Ths is wat we will attemp o do
2 manpaon Throgh e Peormave Judith Butler emphatically undrscors wat Virno neglc: e assinment o roles and rans to whic te perrmative attaches spakrs In te Unitd States the "perrmative is usd by activists gting aganst pornography and rcist hate spc Austins catories leave t musty als o te univrsit r te court room Accordin to denders o womens rigts and o etnic minoitis poorapy nd spc are perormative utterancs inso s t not ml xpression o a point o view o opinion nd s suc potcd b the First Amendment o e
72 ns and Machns
US Consiuion; hey go beyond describing a siuaon These
uerances ac on liseners by consiuing hose o whom he speech is addressed as dominaed The ueraces do no simply reec a social relaion of dominaion ey describe esablish or reesablish ha power srucure rough he sole power of speech By assigning women and minoriies specic social roles he per rmaive uerance is hus similar o an acion ha neuralies he agen of people t whom i is addressed and who as such migh be brough bere a judge Judih Bulers poliicolinguisic program of rehinking he perrmaive in order o appropriae he polical promise of emancipaion i holds seems o me problemaic We wll develop a iniial criique of his reurn o he perfor maive and is supposed emancipaory promise by drawing on Foucaul's work n his 198/198 lecures published as The Govemet of Se ad Othes, he ook e perrmaive as he counerexample o he poliical rupure iniiaed by someone rising in a asebly in order o ell he [die vai The per rmaive reresens a rm of enunciaion which is exacly he ooie ofpahsia"8 Pahsia consiues a rupue wih he domia signicaons an irrupive even ha creaes a acure by creaing boh new possibiliies ad a eld of dangers The performaive on he oer had is ways more r less sricly insiuionalied such ha is condions as well as is eecs are kown in advance n his way i is impossible o produce ay kind of upure n he assign men of roles and disribuion of righs o spk The irrupion of rue disourse deermines an open siuaon or raher opens he siuaion and makes possible eecs which are precisely no kown versel e condiions d e eecs of e performaive
Sm nd le rtiqu Prats I 1
enunciation re "codied. Pahsia does not produce a codied eect; it opens up an unspecied ris9 Just as the performative codies enunciations, utterances, -and teir eects, it lso institutionlizes spekers and listeners, teir respective roles and rns, nd te public space of their acts The ·"subjects that emerge here take no isks and do not engage them selves "personal They their speech nd their subjecivites to the established rms of linguistic conventions To accomplish a perrmave utternce, the "sts of the sub ject is indispensable, yet I bapze someone, the oly ing required in order r it to be perrmed is he "priest nction, whether or not I believe in God hat makes "Ecuse me a perrmative is what I say hether I sincere or not is of no importnce In other words, the perrmave "itual in no way engages or cmmits the subject, whereas ruthteling [die vai] establishes a "pact f the speing subject with himself and a act with te listener "He says that he really hinks this truth, and n this he binds himself much to the content of the utterance as to the act of enunciaton itsel d he ssumes ll the risks nd consequences of doing so10 The parrhic enciaon not oly produces eects on others but rsy aecs e enciating subject, producing a tansrmation of his conditin (an existentia transrmation, according to Guatari) "I it i this retoactionsuch that the event of the utterance ects e suject's mode of being [ ] that chaacterizes a type of ct f iscourse wch are completely dierent om ose dealt wi by pragmatics11 With the perrmave, there is no invenion or transrmaion of he subject possible Subjectivation is a power of aectation of the self by the self which, as such, is not linguistic It denes a selfpositioning, a
1 7 I gns and Machnes
slf-existntializatio (as Guti woud sy), which, though employg ords a poposiions o lngug, rdiclly rmoves us om e lws of ngustics nd vn hos of prgmtics. Foucaut s ve er: "Wit pahsa w s h pperanc of whole miy of compltly eet cts of dscours which r lmost the reves of wat we ca h prgmtics of discours12 The ontologc cosquncs of the rltion to sl whch Butr compltely eglects, r wt aow Foucut to depat o the logc of powe as we s om te strucurism of lngue (nd even om s ow work on "sx) on sees a poics of emancption, it s he nd not in the pprpriion nd rvrs of he perrmatve ht we nd it Fomr ntror Ministr Sarkozys deniion o subrbn Parisa youth s "scm' "Hv you hd enough o hs scum? We, m going to gt rid o hm r you! sems to rve h wroghdnss o posions invokng "perfortivs in order to plin h por o ords It aso ks on ghly suspicious of th capacity o the theory to account r the politica "rc of lnguage What wee he ets of "ht speec thnntrior Minister Sarkozy utted ber h tlvision cmeras? Wh the word "scu ot neutalz Frch suburbnits ncy, it id c vat that agency o a sc uniminable prior to th nunciaton Istea of consitutg h young rsets of th projcts as domi ate, t enunciatio mobilizd e as ebeous, insuboate, base pecsly o their rs to accept the assigaton "scu Te ce of h evolt did not depen o "aote kn of pe matve o on its apprpriio, as ute mantas, but on an xisteta rmaton (Gutti st manfeste toug a suspe sion of omint meanings a soca ctios t etale a
"cu ad he Critique Peatives
relation to e self (Foucault), in oter words, an act that excees te ngistc or pragmatc amework Similarly, i is dict to ndersd h Be consides per rmave Rosa Park's es to give p he seat to a hte mn. Thee is nothing peaive abou it o hee is hen e have to change the mein of e ter t is an a of esistance, of sef-osiionin of aation, shoin isef in a re of esal withot speech The act pecedes both thogh and seech; it consis e breaking oin in doinant menings and the neaion of te dstribution of oes nd social nctions Sbjecv mtation is not pi dscsive since it oches the ca oint of te nondiscusive sbecivit beond hich thee is no going back It is satn om hs exsenal dimension hat sbecvit emerges and tkes on consisenc rough, onl secondarily, a pici of seocs hich lso includes an gage, mts nd naaves Bu it is on startng om e asigning unnabe neabe mension tat tere can be enng langage, and narrative tl the teor of the perrmaive represens n important s in lingustcs Contra Sassue docrne, we can no longer admit te separation beeen language [e] and speech ao] te rmer suppose establshing meanings prior to any kind of use and te latter restricted comunicatng tem accoding to e speaker's ntentions We c no loner accept te deniton of lngge s a mns of communon, as n chnge of nformaon Instead of moing bond te movement Austn naugurated, Vrno and Buler, en n deent was, close o te enunciation om angage, as lagage [e] cold ist autonomo secete meanings trogh sntactic, phonetic, o grammatic structures, generate agenc over oers, and explain the rce of
1 76 I gs d
Maches
nsrmation of languge ae nd signs. They ccredit the initial theory of the pefoative which even Austi bndoned
B e F Theo of nnaon Le oy be understood event M B Speech Gene and Ohe Lae ay
Our secon seies of citicisms o the perrmative dws on Guattri's ad Bhtin's work. Instea of statin om lnae e] in a ppoch to the ennciation, one encmbee b hue dicties d obvious reservations, s te enuncition were, s Guatti ss, languge's "r-o subub these uthors llow a path excly opposite te one taen by linistis Te pragmatics o the enunciaion pecees ponolog sntactcs, n semnics Te enuncion, nd in particular its odrsive component repesents r Gatti te ctive core of nisc semiotic ceativity Weeas r Btin approac to te enn ciation tat is not exclsively istc i iee possibe 13 Gattari rgues tat i orer to the pocton of sbjec a spit has to e mae between the "proction o meain sense d "exstentia proction. Trning to atin as a critic o te perormative ma seem paraoxica sice te essent atres o s teory o enciation wee eaorate immeiatel aer te Rssia Revolton a theere well bere the invention o perormatves Paraoxical as well becase in his theory the perormaive quite simpy as no plce; as in Austin's later work "every speech act a not onl permatives, "is a social act wich engges speakers creates obligations and ssins roles.
cu ad h Citiqu Pativs I 1
Despite the homolog of the terms th use, there e remakable dierences beteen Austin's theory and Bahtins. First of al, te ater estabishes a dierence in knd beween language and gram ar on the one hand and enunciation on the other, beteen the word ad poposition of laguage nd the utterance, beteen te (istic) mening and the sense of the enciation) He nds a new "sphere of being the "dalogc unkon to istics and the philosophy of guage and not imited to mere eies beteen speakers in a diogue A dialogic reation also be estabished beeen texs, scientc teories, and works of seaated in space nd time In the diaogic sphere, relations are relations of sense expressed throuh language and signs yet reain irreducible to either The dioic relation is a specic reation that is pat of neither a ogic or a inguistic system as in the structuralism of Saussure or Lacan; nor is it pat of a psychoogical syste, because it cannot be detached om the indvidual subjective cosciosess of the speaker he reation presupposes a lanuage and a ogic a semiotics, or psychoogy) but does not exist wit n e system of anguage or in a ogica or semantic system or sychoogy) The rce, expressivi ad agen of anguage [ae] do not deive om ue om its grammacl stuctue; they do not emerge o dierences or om a combinator of signers but om the dalogic reations whose lnguage constitutes a necessay but not sucient element I order r words, popositions, nd grammatical rules to r a copete enunciaton, a speech act, a supplemeta eement is needed n ethco-poitca elemet and, more speccy and more raica an teal eleent, an talctio" Guattai
78 / gs Maches
wold say) that "remains naccessile to eve linguistic cateoration or determination, hatever it may e Separated om the enunciation (om the "speech act), words, rammatcal rm, and poposition re "techncl sns, "material, simple "possiilities in the serice of an only potential men The individuation, sinulariation, and aon of this potenali of lane wh allos ords and prposions to e tnsrmed into a complete enunciation, into a "whole, are rd y pre-personal aecve rces nd post-personal etico-polical social rces eal to languae ut inteal to the ennciaon It s impossile t solate a cateory lie performatives ecause every speech act is addressed to someone or somein, responds to someone or somethin, entails "oliation, and presupposes a atttu "response (or a "responsve · de) The "response ("one can aree or disaree ith it, execute it, evaluate it, and so o) is a costitutve element of the uterance For the ennciaon, "notin is more terrle tha a lac of response14 Butler sees to oppose the perrmative commnd with the possility r unforeseeale d uncodied response and reac to5 This can only come up short since the problem o the "response, that is, the possbty of actin dierenty when addressed concerns all enuncatos nd not solely perrmatves (which s the same concluso Aust comes to whle electn some of ts consequences) the other hand, the commd cn not e countered y a dieret tpe of perrmative act but oly ouh a dialoic relation that ecees linustc cateores, whether perrmatve or not Even the responses syntx s scred in he "stuctues of lanuae, it is not produced by lguge but rather y the dloc relato wth the other. The "ed o the utterce, ts relato
cu and h Criiqu Paivs 9
(accomplihment), which make it equest an oe so h is iven b he diloic elation nd not b linuistic ms whehe o not pemtive Th rs remost criterion h naon of the utterce s pssb of respondng r, more precsely ad broal o ss a rponsie attu twd t (r pe, ecug a orde). his criterion is met y a hort eeryday question, r exampe, "What time is it? (on may respond to it), an eeryay request that one may or may not a scientic statement wh which one may agree or disa (artialy or competey), o a noe, which be eauated s a whoe 16
Thee is inee a ammatical en an "nalizaton o the opositons o lnuae that make hem ntellble ut atica intelliibilit is a necessa but not sucient contion o the vebl echane intelliible eectuate linitic ooston within the lnisi oe nnot evoke a esonsive eaction7 Onl the seech at n not nstc oostons has the oet o accomlihing n enncation t is thouh aes an esonse that it e vau poits ofvie emoos acts
mpathies ad apathi ith ad to the situao to th othe to ueaces ad i pacu to uac to the ue the jut ad the beaul " The esonse is alwy elpoitionng elamaton, n it i onl thouh this oitioning ht one n eson seak, n expe onesel£ Eve peech act is n ehiopolitl at because t aim aeement o "saeement Eve peeh at is a "uestion ke o ohe, oneel an the wold Bhin theo o enncition
80 gns and Mach
implicates te wold a a problm, an vnt, s sometig tht always reains to e accomplished. This is nike Austin's teoy of the perrtive nd ilocutonary act, which considers the worl s a set conventions, s an institution, a a distribution o powrs, rights, and duties to e reprouced. By its natue, evey spech act n not oy te perrmative acts on othrs y restructuring the possiblities r ction18 The spch act is an event wich creates indeterntion y opening possibitis that "subjective engage speers in a singul rlation occrring "hre ad now Evey enucition is storic event evn i it is innitey s9 Uike strucuis, which attepts to conne te enunci ion witin the cobinatory rs o language, and unike Austini speech act teoy, te enunciton represents a "micro-poiics and/or icro-physics o relations btween spers. The enuci ton is not produced ccording to th linguistic mode a speaker's actve spech process nd a istnrs pssive pocesses of percepion and unerstanding On the conty the aer takes pt accompishing the act A in Fouaut's te teory o power re ions, te oter is cive ad ee20 I te event of enunition, te oter estises is dynics d oens is actuaiztion Enunciation is a copoducion of a polemicl ndor oopetie coactuaiztion of igistic virtuiies, wods of vaues ad te exstenta terries wich they occ Like te Fouc stategic retions of power, te diogc retions of enuncition open e o possie responses retions tt c ony e deterie, c oy e cized, toug the doing of enuition In tis wy it is easy to see tht te nature of te enunciation is not perrtive ut diogic, strtegic, and eventgeneratng. ktn ike Fouaut, as an "agonistic nd poeic vi of
Scm d he Cqe o Peoates I 8
the enunciation; the latter resembles a batte" 2 1 between speakers or, better still, it ntions a strate r governng the behaviors of others manifested through a whole series of techniques an linguistic and semiotic tactics. The parallel Foucalt establishes between the ouse of a con versato ad te goveental teciqes we noted at te stat ae perty expessed i Batis desption of te dynamis of te enuiao wi ave noing to do wit te instittionizaion or distiuo of oles implied y te performative en constucting my uttene I actvey to dtmine his esponse Moeove I to at in acodnce with the espons I antcipate, so this atipated epo in tun, et n ativ iuence on my utteane (I pay objections that I es I me kinds o povio d o . When speang I ways take nto aount the appeeptiv backgound of th addessee's pepon o my spech: th xent to whch he s amiia with the situation whethe he ha peia nowede of the gven cutu ea of commucaton hi view and onvictions his pejudices (om my viepoint) his ypathie d antipah becuse lthis wi deteine hi ative eponive undetandg of my uteane 22
4. he Mo-Pos oVoe and Gesue We aeady d i e Batin Cile's st atiles pised i e 930s s miopotical (polemica an/o govemeta) relaon of eiation here linguistics and Lacanian stism see diereti relations between signs or beteen sigiers, Batin like visionries idiots or mamen, hears voices d tei diaogi
182 I
g ad Maches
reatonshp and the sefarmaton the exstenta tertoes (uatta) and the vaues mantanng them n an mportant ae n whh B s onsdered at eng uattar observes that aordng to the Russan phosophers theory n eah enunaton there are both predvdua voes wh express votveemotona auaons (sensbe aets n uattars termnoog) and soa voes ethopota voes whh express the beaut the just and the trueunverses of vaues n uatars voabury These voes extend bod aru ated anguage Voe/ntonaton not yet aught n the phonet abstrato of anguage s aways podued on the border of the verb and the nonverba the sd and the unsad and t endows · eveg ngustay stabe wth g hstoa momentum and queness23 t s thou he voe that the address to the other s made A ts address s rst etve and ethopota bore t s ns ta makes t sod the word suroundng he speaker were st l of aate res-t thrtens and ras aanst or adores and hershes nanmate objes and phenomena24 n voes we nd the anmaton of ature of the osmos amsm) uatta desrbes Contra t what gusts and he phosoph ofguage am presgg orprea semots (gestures b atttudes movements a expressns et) here pay a esve roe sne t s thrugh e b hat vaues rst emerge toaton and gesture have a se terreaton shp that rgates n the body that rshes he orgnary raw materas r hs expresson of vaues25 The oto of gesture must be uerstoo n a broad sense nudng mmng as a gestuato26 ese ke tonaton ways has atent wthn tsef the germ of aak or defese of threat or aess Ths s he reas wh
m a h Cr Pravs 18
r uciio as aks sk "ro of o iss "is ids27 T oic os ih ss ad oi5 iuisic ad smioc ns no on b coosin nd combinn bu aso b oain a sinizaion of aga ic cn b dd as sagic sic i disbs ad ms saks accodig o a poo poiic mod sucui h spac of spc accodig o po aios b saks T oic xsss is fs ad ibs hin a "sy hic osp o of copici "cooaio o "discoo s-is h addrss I c oic h is od adrss T oc is drssd o o o h adrss bu so o "h objc of uciio ic c as h hid ciaio suc h h ddrss i cd on o b bo "jud ad inss d h "a o " E po Bakin sas us "coiua ok ih s is's sypa o npah grn o isag28 O n oic pnas ad apois ods ad poposiions do s a os i iguisic oi ad nsm ino n xpssion a apps o ids ad ards o nmis ha ans o as ps o ass oig o h isk nd ndminaion of nnciaio
5 Diiv g I is o o udsad in h cas of Sarkos uanc "You r scum) a o a dai rfomai bu srgic uio of ciaion i i o aios h iis as ig oi o is
84 I
gns d Machnes
advatage "Hate speech oght not to be ndestood s Ameicns do s a ce accomplishng what it says bt athe as n "action pon possible actions action opeed to the npedictabilit to the eteminacy of the esponseecton ofthe othe of othes) The ennciaion "Yo e scm tkes place thin a given sociopoltcl station n ode to modi that sitaton y appeling to "iends nd desgatng enemies te enciation theates te atte d esses and einoces te e It sees ot es d i ode to d new aiances it coes p as ee es te iigt sban yoh the "l te employed thgs etc It ooks to econge poltica spce y callng on othes s dges d witnesses obligag them to position hem selves to epess a oint of view to mae a vale dgment whch is wys t oce ecve and ethicopoiticl Fiy it sees to costct ic space in whch a o athe tan endshp wt te ote evls Te spacetme opened by he ennciation is not that of the efomatve it is te spcetme of indeteinao npedicbi te ogic event the "battle dscose whch sees to hold sway ove othes ove the behavo by estcting thei eld of acton The eects ae not pedetemined as with pematives whee the speae the tteance and the listene ae aleady institted Hee the speke and the "adiences he addesses on telesion (ennciation and machiic speech we shold emphsize e open to the becoming of the event Wod the inslting enncation aow So to win the pesidentil election hogh a state ment to ween the othe candidates of hs own o the opposing cmps? Wold he wn votes mong the xenophobc electoate of the exeme ight? Wold he scceed n cing the "Le t espond by
c" and the Critiqe o Peoraves 185
accepting the political debate over security? He had no idea mself {even in the reactionry and fear-idden Europe in which we live the strate had and has been proven to work). In any case, the "responsereaction of the "scum highlights the dialogic nature of every speech act. A we know, every enunciation implies understanding, a "responsereaction, "active responsiveness, "taking a position, a "point of an "evaluative response Ad this one provoked them beyond what even their author coud have hoped Revolt occurs rst of as an sig existential cryst tion, as the emergence of cl points of sujectivation that take on consisten through a multiplici of materias of expression The cson of the rponse, the singlation of "understanig, takes place not only linguisticalyr &om it. The materis of expressin are not solely linguistic; the vectors of subjectivation, the c pints eciation, are multiple They re not limited to lngage t lingistic intelocution, as ancire would have it.29 Revolt is in itsef the sign of the capacity to interrupt, suspend, the dominant signications d to create "gestures, acts, signs, and perhaps even words accorig t modaities which may not be those of the speaker There is a ntological dierence beteen "asking and "responding Bi remins us; r the to belong to absolutely irreducibly nqe spacetime blocs, to existenti territories, to very dieret was speaking. We bere Sarkoz's rek he uth &om the projects had inverted, jut Buter hpe he meaning of te term "scm with which power aresse hem. Teir way of speaking was dened by the same peple as "speaking caiea" suburban slng r acaie ("scum). Tey did not have to wait r the supposed perrmative of Sarkos wors to "tist the insult
86 I
gns and Machnes
The piti spe peed by th nunatn hanged be ur vry eyes Sever "strteies nfntd ah th: th n had the rmi "ity yuth pliia subjs n he the he presideti didy W aw th f he nun ud i re time wng th hh f he ri th pss piti res expt unns and ntleualth whl hi rhestrted by meda ahns The resus he eunii uld nt b antipted i h way tey miht be whe jude de I nd yu guiy i t ne la he euiti tiu t d the si d lal bdy eve w ht te ts hv bn ussed d he a i ler trii is ars nd ks n he subub N ne knws wht he " ns f agnng existentl aan t durig he Nvemb nghts f 00 ght n day due. 6 h Rub an onReprobe
ut t u tun t h atv an t te appais utl by way f Dda wh alh. Th sie epettn f th sgn (t f sants but f ts xistne as mak) s upsed t be nu beak wh h strbui le n tis and ght ntut by efmatve. I d t peat ts gnk ust dah th ntt The autnmy t ak wh t t te ntext n whh t s made (whih sn h f Drd ple wh Sl) s suppsed t den a nt f uptue wh dnant maings. H n whh uls n s lty and abtra t den lg f languag (Sausu) and the gn (aa) gvs u a slang u f hw upure an etn nti n and hugh lguag.
cum and he Cque o Peoaes / 1 8
n every enuniaion h "poi of rupr ver llos om the utonomy or ipn of h ark bu raher o he sin gular peeh t om subiv aratio an o _the ethico-politicalposiinin ha us a suppors it We ditinish i h uiaio b ht is repro uible the elms o aua h mark a ell th syn n the emnti o) ha is o h ubetiv at o enunition. hese to imsiosrprouib a on-rerouible an be eily isr boh i h arss an in the respose to hih the uiaion ivs ris. Guaari ras attention to a tt om 94 i hih Bakhin isiuishs v inguiti rpro uible) a rainisi norprouibl) onstituens of the iaio te o side o te wod e musia osuet proe; 2 e eere mea o wod with li nuances nd vari ions; 3 te onstituent o verba onecos l the eons and nteetons tt ae purey veb 4 te intonona on te syooa ae-te emotioavoitiona onstuet o te wod te iooia diretedns o te word tt presses te divesi o te speers iooi retonsethiopoia d moe speicy soi vues preindividua voies d post eso soi voies; te ein o verb cveness the ein o te ctive enertion o si ound incuded here e motor eementsartiuton esture ia pressions etand te whoe ine diecedness o my personai32
The rst ee ontituent of enunition ontuting the lguiti n emioti ement rpresent it reprouible reitertable rt
1 88
gns d Machnes
whrs th rmang to ar nonrproduibl lmnts th absolutly singlar lmn ratd r t rst m tough and t at of nuniation Th urth onstitunt is th spially dialogi on sin it prsss both ati aluation "th mo tionalolitional) and soial aluation th iologial) Th last onstitunt th fling of th rati atiity of sph prsss th rlaton to th sl t ontologial r armd through istntial positioning It onstituts th non disursi lmnt that gnrats not only th physil rlity of th word but also "ning and aluation hrough th uttran t spr opis n at position h ralis a istntal slfpositioning, as Gari wod say) with rst to world and to othrs "tat is a ling of moing and assing a position as a whol hua bingof a momnt into whih both h orgais and th aingdirtd aiviy ar drawn, bas both t sh and sirit of t word ar gnratd togr in thir onrt uniy33 Ifw now mo om th "pooity and htrognity of t smiot linguisti and non-linguisti lmnts of t addrss to thos of "undrstanding, w nountr th sam multipliity of rproduibl nd nonrproduibl faturs In undrstanding whih is an ati "raionrspons w nd a sris of lmnts ralizd through th talingisti rs of th diogi rlation 1 Psychohysoogcay ercevng a hysca sgn (word coor sata r) 2 Recognzng t ( or ), understanng ts (gener) reroducbe gncaon n anguage 3 Undersnng ts sgncce n the ven contt (edate and ore reote) Actvedaogc understandng (dsagree ent/agreeent) Incuson n the daogc conte The auatve
Sc ad t q o Poas 1 9
aspect f derstadg ad the degee f ts depth ad vesty 34
The nal popel dialoi elemen is he mos impon beause i sinulaizes ives "exisenil onsisen o he eation esponse Fom his one seles odes and nalizes he enuniaion Linuisi undesandin is no he same hin dialoi undesndin The lae alwas enils kin a posiion makin a judmen an aionesponse wihin diloi elaions Responses expess a "smpah an anipah an "aeemen smpah objeion exeuion d so h35 Eve esponse "ees supplemens and elies o36 peedin ueanes A he end of inoduion o John Sles peech Duo "Do he elemen oflanuae besides hei polemial value have independen onepl (and semani onen? hee in lanuae a ncles o meann ieduble o he ai of enuniaon?37 ee expessieness to ange independen of enuniaon? Bn ave his ase e 1920s a Pee d3 bee h he enuniaon logly ad pal peedes e
Lanage ht "eede nd eed e Sbect" I we st om te enaton ate t om lgage e sta om te spee ate ta om the auonomy te ete ioi ad spemacy o e sge (o in e ontempoay esion o peomate e) e sta om at s epo dible ad at is not epoduie n e enuniaion we a pt te mate deenty o wa i laguage peedes ad eeeds e suet3 Bte a oy oneie lagae a tasendene
9 I gns and Machnes
tat precedes and xcds u bcas w becom a ubject oy by entering into th normatvity of langag and lloing its rls With Bhn, ther ae inded linguistic lmnts (phoneic, gr�atical, syntactic, etc.) nd chains of tterances that precede te sbecivation and individaton pocss Yet, contay to Btr, they cnnot ced tat process because th rlization of th en ciation is not accomplhd though its conforty with the s of grmm {Wittgenstin) or t instittonl itrition of prr mative oles, or r that matter togh a chn of siers (L) bt rather thogh vent-generatng dynamics. hat "preceds u is lways and ncessaly activated in t ennciation and is each tme "ansged in what is creatd y the spch ac, which estalishes a dilogic relation in which the sective rcs of existential armation lon accomplish (complete) t uttrance ttce s nv jst a eecton o expesson o soe
t ady exstn otsde t tat s ven and na It aays ceates so at v xsted e soetn asotey e and ata d oov t aays s soe aton to vae t t ood a and so t Bt soetn catd s ways catd ot o soetn vn ana osvd oo o a experenced n s sct s soetn ed s wod vw d so Wat s ven s coty tans d wat s ceated40
Despit Bter's preoccpaons, we conceive a nonssentilist ho withot positing e preexistence of language a "radicl and originry dpndn. The sct, his mens of xprsion, the obciv of his iscos, the relationship wit others and tir
Scu" and e que o Peoaves I 9
uttras d he utras that rulat ubc a ocur nd nm n and ou th t of uaon hr s o ogna ubject becue he ubjec nd he raonsh evang he ubjvaon oe e w b zed aced nd consucd h ubj no n et ofnguge; ngug no he ue of he ubjc Fo he ubje s no onued hough a eeen nguc ucure but hough sloonng earmon mached h words othe nd he wod
A objet is read-made the liguisti meas r its depito are rd-made the artist himself is readmade d his orld vie is rd-made Ad here ith readmade mes light of a read-made od vie the readmade poet reets a read made objet But t the objet is reated i the proess of reativi re the poet himse his orld vie ad his meas of peo1 Wh Bkhn we cn ush our rtqu stll rthr I raty h recede he ubje not lauag grmar ad thr rul bu wh Bkhn l seh rs W a oly ar lauge b w of chn of conct uttras hos us drented eb heres deeo ratly stabl tys W lar to seak w beom subjec no through rammar ad syt but throuh meon hee genrs of hh th rst ar thos of oloqu doure Seech genes oet at th trsto ofaua sutue (wh eoducbe) ad th ah tm sular unato (h s noneoducbl) Throuh ths lagua trs f d f ene guge
1 92 gs ad Maches
he "chain o speech genres does not act as a structure or a molar constraint in the way that "chains o signiers do in Lacan hey nction s an assemblage composed o a multiplicity o ways o speng responding disagreeing and coopeating he "chain o utterances is open actal constantly changing and it provides more or less eedom to the "intention o the speaer Altough ust as normative and presciptive as language speech genres are much more "changeable exible and plastic42 peaers discover in speech genres the possibility o rming their expression and their "intentio address response posion etc) in more or less creative more or less stereotypicl ways he erence beteen speech genres has rstly to do wi the degree o "eedo or "constraint o stnrdaon or crtion o reproduction or novel they encourage or thwart in relationships beteen speakers Bakhtin classies what analic philosophy regards as perormative among the most stardize the most stereo ica ch n r th entail the reproduction o political relations and o existing linguistic conventions [I]n cerain spheres of ever i (qesons ha e prely cal and similarly cal eonses o hem, reqes orders, and so rh n erain bsine rcles, in he sphee o mary an inds ommds orers, we encone e heres n whch eeh enres e mmall sdar ne nd whee he ee ec is lmo compleely l
I class relatons introduce a ajor dierence eteen te address and te · response o speaers tey are still and alays relations mared y cnentons peaers hierarchical positions social standin ran ealt me etc or enuciatn and creative
cu and h Cqu o Pav I 193
expession a spacetime is needed othe than that of conentions hieach and subodination one whee smpath tust and mutu ndestanding peai whee the othe is peceied and o be a iend and of the same stats I dditio to these stdrd eres of course eer d more cretive eres of orl speech commuictio hve existed d still exist: eres of slo coverstios out everydy socil esthetic d other sujects eres of tle coverso iti mte coverstios mo ies itimte coverstios the fmily d so o ] The mjori of these eres re suject to ee cretive rermultio (le rtistic er d some perhps to reter deree)44 Cetii is not a poduct of anguage but n eticopoitic ssemge of which angge is on one constituent pa Fee om eqies ht a iscose be inse with deep tust wit smpath sensitiit and the beneoence of ones esponsie undestanding in othe wods with a poitics othe thn that of standadization The cooqia and intimate genes ae inguisic appaatuses that encouage ceatiit because the speake d aessee pe ceie thei addessees in exc the same wa: moe o ess outsie he amewok of the socia hieach an socia conentions without ank it wee ] In famiia speech since speech con saints and conenions he en awa one ca ke specia ocia voion ppoch o eait [ ] Inime speech is imbued with a eep conence in he addessee in his smph5 eatiit o he simpe epoduction of he encition epends on the pesence o bsence of eations of hiech o
1 igns an achns
subordation, sympy, or "discofor,'' e as of iendsip nd ni trus or disrus. Snddizaon or creaive dierniion depends on micro- nd mcroolis of the nuciatio and no on te srucrs of lngug or erformatives. 8 Tse d Gt aguage
In t ew "cricl vrsios of errmative theor (Ziek, Buter), e speaker stil sees urdeed the transcedece, error, ad t of the reigious a He ds hiself i a reatio of "rdic and orgiar deede The ater o oger exists ith regard to the divinit ut to a aguage whose historicit exceeds i directions the histor of the sekig suject46 such that or ower to act deeds radoxcal o te ower of laguage (o its teriori o its autooy, etc). Given that the suject egages i ad through uage a t the ruls of guage trasced us, suordinatio to auae ad, mor geerall, to e aws of ower ad kowledge i ace is conditio of ossibili r spking. Bur ujustia d inplicbl attriutes poin of viw o Foucaul, wn in c i is vrbi reiteration of Lcn, r who the "dom of the sub "bcoes ound up wit e deveoet of s seriude7 in Lc, the "egiv cstratio, reressio, ack, oss, etc. dos no maist the coningn of ower rlios ut rr uivrsl necessit of umn codition, a condiion of our vy existenc, which oe mus ssue ad srpss dilciclly. 8 Accordig to Bain, owever, spkr dos no eriece lguag s seritude bs he is mrsd i a livig ad hetero gneous word diern om ta dscribed Buter ad ik. the uteraces i wc is immrsed, he hears te voics of
cm an the e o Peoaves 5
normativi nd injunction bu lso the voices of creation nd ee dom. He hears the heterogeneity of points of view, judgments, and vlues; and in this way, he hears te struggles registers te sympathy and atpathy, agreement nd disagreement, and trust and dstrust tey express Fo a dd coco , aa o a aac m of oma m a a coc oo coco of od od a " of a ofo a a d a a ca ok a c o a ao a a o, da d o 9
he spker does not nd hiself trown into oe spaceme "satu rated th powe one c escape soey ou he decc prouettes of te work of e negative Itd, he is in a mti picity ofpow eo i a eat va of space-me blocs n which the ice d harmoncs of sandrdied spch genres we tose of te "intiate ad fmiliar genres resound, in which rela tionships among them ad wth utterances e conducive to creatii The deelopment of acetime blo of one or te oter knd does nt depend on lanage (Saussure), grammar {ittgenstein), or perrmaties (Buter and Zizek, but on the micro ad macro plitics of lnguage (he centrigl d centripeta rcesf wich ingstics ad ructuralism are obousl a ptat shape agage and on mcr ad macrpt tout cou. 9 Vaan an Invn
The chain of utterances congre a a act multipliciy f nntotaliable speech genres witin a tructure is eling
9 gns and Mac
raliy n th rliy of vrbl xhang syntctic rm and pch gnr do not hv th tbiliy of grammr nd ditionari h r �ontany varying lwy in th proc of bing md nd unmd. Some ndeoing gro whie oher e undergoin degrtiiztion It he mou orderine rm tht of the gre n o the i h i preie here the deveopmen d of be dierned50
Hnc th ioibi of onning ths rltionhip to a linguiti tructur (Sauur and Laan tructurim Wittgntin grmar or Autin iloutionary at) Th orgnic lin bn languag h gnr and h act cnnot bcom lxc grmailly tabl and d in idntic nd rproducibl rm i. nnot itlf bom ign or a ontant lmnt of a ign cannot bcom grammaializd51 Linguiti ar obd by th dir to rdu th indtr minay ri and intbili ratd by th vntaiy of nuniaon to a xd al or nti truur to nor of nuniation o th invariant of th oia langug Bhin thory on th or and ll r a in of ingulrit o obj i th orni ln bn h rroduibl nd th non rroduibl btn linguii and nonlinguiic lmnt btn givn nd h rtd n or lin ih i atnd n th onrt hioil a of th urn it only r th givn utr and only dr h vn onion of i rtion52 Br Dluz Guaari and ouat Bahin urnd om ontnt to th onidrtion ofvriant nd variaion5 ouat
cm" d h Crtq o Pormavs I 97
emak that one mut "evel nction of dicoue which ae not imly thoe of exeion a elation of ce leady contituted and tabilized) o eoduction a eexiting ocil ytem)54 The deciion to ivilege vaian o invaiant i not only indicative of a lnguitic o tylitic anity but above ll a olitical move ince language and gamma ae imily State olicie conveyed by centietl centalizing ce that mat language olticly
0 SMoe o S The tategic o govenmentl natue of Sko enunciation cn now be eed uing khti categoie A concete and ingula uttence i a in the chain of eech communicaon to which it i connected not oy though contemoneo utteance but alo though at utteance and thoe to come Thee i not only the nchoic dimenion of language of ignie but alo and eeciy the diachoic, temoal dimen ion of enunciation nd eech gene A utteance mut above all be conideed a eone to eviou uttece nofa it ete am uement and elie on them aume that they ae own nd one way o anothe "count on them At the ame time it i contucted n anticiation of a eone to come one which the enunciation neceay euoe a eone that tke lace now o in the fao tue) Sako tatement on immigation i not the t but athe belong to a chain of utteance with a long hito The taget of hi wod e immigant the eigne the delinquent) i not new eithe "e obect it wee aleady been aticulated diuted elucidated and evuated in vaiou way Vaio viewoint wold view and tend co convege and divege it55
1 8 gs d Maches
Th chain i whic Sarkozs statmnt is a rt blongs to a linguistic "itae shad b the le and te riht It rsponds to elis on d comlemnts te Frech Commuist Prtys uncs te slogan "Lets mak Fenc! roclaimd s Frech-mad bull dozs r iirat homes i Paiss d suburbs; tos of h Natiol Frot The Fnch rst! as wll a thos of t Socilist Part We caot be a ome r the worlds poor o h "sububs feral childre) But w can also d mo mot chos and sonaces i the voics of the bouroisi dning t nin tethcentur roletaiat i the same wa it dos t sububan out of toda: scum. Te ture residents isult was ot onl connctd t racist statmets of the ast but also to those to com Scum is ot a errmative injuction addressed to th oug immirats of the sububan rojects but a seech act aimin to shae a situation and subjectivit ofhe Frc who must subsqunl osition hemsls wih respt to he utterace But om e very beginning, the utterance is constructed while tng into account possible responsive reactions, r whose sake, in essence, it is acully created we kow, the role of the others r wom the uernce is constructed is etremely great We have aready said that the role of these others, r whom my thought becomes actual thought r the rst time (and thus aso r my own sef s well) is not hat of passive listeners, but of active participats in speech communication. From the very beinning, the speake exects a response om them, n active resonsie understdin The entire uternce is constructed, as it ere, in anticiaion of encounterin his response.56
Scu and e tque o Peoaes 1 99
The hstorty of langage does not nlude a past and a tre that "exeed n dreons the hstoy of the speakng subjet Butler Lke gammaal res, genes of dsorse, and so on, these tempoaltes onsttute only the ondtons of the event of enunaton I the hee and now of the event, the past, pesent, and tre oexst the pesent of the pst the pesent of the present, and the pesent of the te, aordng to Augstne's rmulaton Tempoaltes re put bak nto play and "transged n the event of enunaton Hstory and ts temporaltes, language and ts tem poaltes, are but the ondtons the event reoges oder to eate somethng new The rmer pesdent's enunaton eealed at one a ontnu and break wth the utteanes that peeded t "Sum s the repe tton "ean [touelle]) of the powe that holds these dspaate ngust and etalngst eements together through an exs enta {eatonary amaton hat sees n the naton, the fer of and e contem te egne, wok, autho, and orde, h universe of vlues and "stental tertoes It i therere imossible o dsoe sgnatons, the power of trnrmation and subjectivation, smply om the semant, phone or grmatical structures of languag o ccomplish an enunciation always means assetng power oe extlingistic constituents that are t once somtic, ethoogl, mythogpc, insttutional, economic, political, and aestheic.
200
gs a achies
6
Te Discursive ad e Eiseia i e Producio of Subjeciviy
Bt why do they have to contnosly e to ts atona elos etc st y? In a ven state of sbjectvty thee s no othe way . . . ] If n ode to st we absoltely have to have ecose to ths knd of thn t sn't spsn that people sh edon nto t even they know that atonly t doest hod we. Thees no ettn d of ola sta. Schzoalyss not epce onzatons F Gai "Mce ste et cp non-dscs Sena of Mch 9
1 The en a Mam
he oetive rms of todas poiti mobiiation wheter urban riots or "union strues wheter peae or vioent re motivated by te same issue: on e one hand the res of repre sentation and on te oter te perimentation with and invention of rms 'of oration d eression rupture with te mode poiti tradition unded on the deeation of power to represen tatives of the peope and sses
21
Representatve democra has pogressivey trnsrmed into a eanism of the State; poica prtes nd trade unons have become, through a process spnning the entre teneth cenury, integr part of Ste instittons. The crisis aecng the West since 007 hs subsequenty nsrmed poitic democra and soci ecra The rmer is competey subordinate to the oc of neeris e exent that Ms remk, which has too oen een rice, a "e ae is t a commitee r mnagng e cmn airs e rgeisie, as in ecme reent One nees y cge "rgeisie "creirs a y ave e nc in itca reresentan in a nse Even a k potc ecray ke rs is s t ecrac r neer tcis ci emcra n e oer , es n mre an reresent een e sci sraa l-e eyees, n in arar reirees, i, ever, reay aaging t sccee e rtess at ave exe mre r es everyhere on he pe reve a iin representative democra there are no possibe ateatives In this regard, Guattri opens more tn one avenue r reection, uning a critique of reresentative poi tics and a critique of the representationa nctions of angage igniing semiotics (nguage, writing) caim to represent a other spposedy presigniing modes of expression (corporea, gestura, iconic) as we as asigniing ones (money, scientic equations, etc) The atter supposedy ack something ony n guage can provie in the same way hat citizens and the soci ack someting tat ony poitica representation can provide n reaity, ingustic represenaon, just ike pitca represen taton, constittes a seizure of power, overcoding, hierrchizing and subrdinating ther semiotc and oter mdes f presion The to rms of representain in e ystems of signs itic
202
ns and acnes
institutions go hd i hand ad ay in of politicl break wit tem emnds hat both one ad the ohe ae overcome. �at ae he coditions, besides those of analytic philosohy sructulism and Lacianism, in whch speech a sins oeate in the "consiuion of the sel' in a way that bpses both pocl nd igustic eresentaio? Exiing the relationshp betwee the disrsive ad te tenia Guaai redees processes of subjectvaton bot o te macro- d micropolicl levels Paradoxclly by k te "existetil, which is eithe lstic o semiotc, a essetia conditio of eunciatio, he carries out a ajor s wch eu tzes the power of repesetation While Bakht dsillusios us with regd to te perfoatve thans to a cocepton of te euciation tat eludes every kd of strucural or cobiatory rmaizatio of laguage, Guatti a clzes the break with luistcs ad pagatcs by exmning wat Bahtin fed to exmie suciet dept, mely, the eato ship beeen e linguistic nd the extraligistc The atte canot be reuce to itesubeciviy (Bhtin) or to socil o ecoomc inastuctues Vey late in his work, Guattari called tis exta linguistic dimension existentil Accoding to him we ae ivin a paradox n a clege to hought which lguisis is apable of ideng o spond to: W w dsrse ye e e w r dlg w s eel r surse [ ] a le ce e a s acad, ue cue c, r eu se I as eely Ad s ae gadully el e s ee
Th issi and th is i Pductin Sbcii 203
Lingistic cmpetence is nt at te basis f the ennciatn bt rather a apprehensin and stentia apprpriatin f self and rld and it is m his existential/aective apprpriatin that langage dscrse nledge narrative artrs nd s rt becme pssible Speech ths hs a dal cn: signi cmmate ad declare plitically bt als ad especiy t prdce ssemblages f ennciatin able t captre erririze and deply the sing larities f a cal pint f esenial sbectivatin and give cnsisten d drabiliy t hem On the ne hand he crystllizin sbectivin prcesses is nt he exclsive privilege lgage; l te her semitic cmpnents all the her prcedres f natral and machinic encding play a par as ell2 On he ter hand sb jective mtatin is nt primrily discrsive; becme discrsive it mst reach the c pint f nn-dscrsivity at te hert f sbjectivit [ ] In rder t mke stries describe the rd and nes le ne mst star m his indenable pint the breking pin sense the pint f abslte nnnarrative the pint f bsle nn-discrsiviy3 Alng ith the signiing and den ive ncins Gattari intrdces the existential nctin hich lhg o-discusive acts as the creative rce f the ennciain ling the lingstc trn and Lacs strctrlingistic pscsis Btler redces sbjectvity t he reslt f signiing perins Gattari determines instead mp he varis cm pnens f sbjectivatin n heir ndmen hetergenei by carrng t the radical divrce beeen he prdctin f sense he prdctin f sigicatn pragmaic prdctin and nly the prdctn f sbjectivi4
20 I
gs and Me
The same semiotic ik ca work to "produce dicoue an t produce exitence,5 the ame taements ht signi omething in drem re taken in their subjective embe iving them, rather than a meanin exitentia igicance.6 Tey conie the peaker a subective entity Unike discursive pragmatic, exiteni prmic ha to do wi he production o the e with the "noic singa riie o the se-ppropriation o the e th sinuriie ecnsciusness7 Eitence is mtter o epitionig, eecon Guri's path run pre Foucaut, who, practicy e sme me come to he sme concusion There i a ference nd beeen he prresitic enuciation tha expreses e rmin he e nd e cuivity o pragmatic inguscs e i o the prmcs o e perrmative In both cae, we ue ords proposiins we me use o anguage, but the unden c is radicy heereneus The cnstition e se i be o bre i dnn meaing; i des n prry rn signers dscourse n meann n p u rer per o seecan ren shp rces ise£ Guri s se-rmn kes on particur hue since e "r se ou soi] n e "r thers ou !es aues], e c pins enuncin the vecrs suecivn re n excusiey umn Eience s mchinic ic n ny case smeng ha desnt n ny y ncn ccrdn e gc scusie ensemes u c ve us receny een l e ic exsenzn8 T wrds nd prpsins nue ncn ccrdn e ic sense y rerrn m ne sense reerence ner r ccrdig drammc c psses representn
Te Dcuve and he Etental n he Pducon o ubjectvy 25
consciousness, and t I of t ubjt. Going beyon Bakhtin r whom th wod is lmot v in human lfe, Guattari inroces non-uan mot d mblaes capabl o intatng an organizin xstntialiation ation: "Spee emains an essentia meium, but it' not t only on; vythin which shortcircit ains of iniation, potus il tait pa isposiions, s, ainn mioti podtons (elating r eple, to monty xa) mani in prodons can be impliatd in ts tp of nlytial amblage. Speec itselan I ould nv ovmpai ti-only intrvnes here inasmch it at a uppot extntl an9 In he sam way tat matl ow n socia economic etc ows semiot ow xt witn actule spatiotemporal coori nates wh t "laton to th e eisten territories an nivers of vlu onttut t incoorea aecie intensie dimension of th mbla wh is not goee ona space tm oodnat. Te eistentia eludes phsical determinaion and casali an ontttes a nonenergetic nonnformaiona "machinism he trmaions hat te pace in istence are incoporea unlik the trnsrmations studid b science do not inoe ngetic an inormaiona procs
2 Disjcon d Conjuncon othe iscursive d Exten Te relaion to e se represent n incorporeal xistntl a point an atopoieic machine wo consistency, duabilt nd dvelopment epens seconarily, on he muiplity of atul lments hat it aere an reonre he duiv, t ogni te t also insiions the soil, te econom p, t.)
206 I
Sgns and achnes
The "subjective maer o "existenilizatio' ses discursivi in order t "appear to itse to maniest itsel to itsel as a body without organs, s a pseudo-unit but one which is in no way a tolization lke that o the logic o ensembles 1 0 By establishing a ference in kind beeen the discusive (and the conceptual) nd the existential, Guaari conceives not only the disjunction but also the conjunction o hese todisparate logcs: "semioic logic and "ontological pragmatics . 11 Let us quickly enumerate the "dissmmetries between these o logics First, the discursive and the existential ncion based on heterogeneous "reerents he semiotic or discursive dimen sion "is prt o a system o extrinsic rerences, in other wods, it always implies hat every element is discursive relative to another element which constitutes its rerent, in such a way that its "uth, its essence, is externl to its existence According to exis tentia logic on the other hand, "the singlar element is itsel its own rerence n geneates its own rerence, it secretes its wold o erence 1 2 Existential pragmatics is "selreerentil, sel prouctive o rerence 1 3 Existence rouces itse is own movement 1 4 Second, discursive logic is nea; ee is one element, hen noher It develops accorng to e temoi indicated b he "arrow o time Existentil mion is cicar it continualy comes back to itse it intensies an gives consistenc to estence or it disappears because incaale o cssing certain thresholds Starting om this circa rern, om e agglomeration, om he consolidation o this cal oint o eistentiaization and this suectie emergence, exsteni maion aneralize the acuaized dimensions (economic, olica, soci, ingisic) by ong hem dierenty
n h senal n he Pn ubey 20
The tird issmmt: epeton in dscsiv logic lways prouces discous combiations o iscos whreas in eistn ti oic epetiton (touee) prouces chans n subjectie states which mold subjti To say that sten i se-pdue o rnc mes tat "it is rptition eati to i tat is the rernce.15 The rein {"empty spech) uke Deris a Buter's rma rpettion o th sinmak, has sttia nction it ies consist to the rlatio to t sl£ n an repetition it is not th smntic content tat is impoat bt repetition itse which podces a chne in subciv stat Cisi or Leninist reains16 r no dene in tms o sns bt by chane in subjectiity tey eect the consistncy, t cossig o he threshod the aglomeration and the tassy o sbc tiity they mae possible an enener isti o inist ains initiate "a ind o uniers a amewor a stag, whic co spons to a production o subjectiity at th ll o h collectie17 Estential reans may hae a semantic contnt an costit sstms o xpssion but tey so nction as a mo consttiv o not kin o uers tat brings t it a supus u o possibs A ienc Disusie ensembes articuat istinctie oppositions {speker/stenr contnt/xprssion subject/objct etc ad prsonoo oppositons I/you) uin within etensiv spaotmpora cooinates o representaton istnt ensembls, o he ot h, ow a oic o intensities a aects stablish prior to th disticion o intities prsons an ncons Acts while olocizabe wi ear to both their oriin and hir estination ( o oy fct the speaer an te isten nd mak up trnsiionl subectiitis8) can be pcisey locatd bsd on te threshold o consistency hey etermin
208 I
gns and Mhn
Eistea pratics caot sily be crcuscbed by he logc of discursive esembles sce cotet d expression are reersible (there is o bckgo gist whch epressio e isolate, "g c e cotet ytig ressio'); he ges ae ot sujects ojects, t "sjectities ad objecivties, mutt etities-hlfoject, hlfsuject-which hve eiher isie or outsie, bt geerte teioty teioty. "They ae ecomgs erstoo s clei of ieretto19 The istictive featues of istetl esemls e ot the sject oject, the "I d te "you t the thesholcossgs, te grets of tesities Discrsive logic implies exchage, wheres i otoloical pramtics estece is ot echgele. "Estece is ttched to its topos totally o rm that would be a rm of existece c ever e prize away Yo e either there or youre ot [ . . . ] there is o existeti egtivity Eistece aloe is itsel every estet Ad the, if exstece is ot ohi ca be sai _about it it cot be clle oeistet20 Otologic or eisteil pramatcs is processul rreversible siula ad eveeera hereas discursive logc is reersible structur ahistoricl d versal he o logics are thus ds smetrical cos of subec It remais to be see ho the cojctio beee hese o very dere seres comes about 3 e eec Para
he oiscsive oes ot eote he poerlessess of he iea ble, of te syle or irrtio it is he power of te vrtual the icorporel, itesities, a ects that costitute so my ca poits of protoecitios. he odscusive is ot rless matter witig r eretaio discipliaiato, or siiig
h Dscus a th iial th Proucto o Sbjt I 20
or symbolic organizaion om laguage and "the Law (both Lacanian). There is notng mysterous about the non-dscsive as hee is i Wisi O h cont it is tavesed by vy ich siic xpssiv ic aects ha cton a exisei etois, mei svs, ca ois of hn and non hua at sujecivaios d protociai that ke p et se-pucig achis Ho hen ms aticat the relationship ee the discursiv nd the achiic xsei he actua an h viral h ossi n h ? A scic cognitve or iivoc ationship cno estabishd een these o levels case a dc asmey exsts b h dscusive d the exs enti he elatish c o e appach by what Guai cls an aesthetc padg The subecvation rocess is t e eect o economc sexu inguistic or soci inastuctures (which would mean it has a referent externa to itsel Instead selositonng selectaton seffias oenngs to rocessu s the creation f pssies he imeu to becomng nd mutaonare oig a Bu hs autooietc cl on take on consisten oy y tvsii posiionng and recogurng all he domns csid t s (he econoic olcl soc ngsc sx sciic tc Sjciv sffcs viusy not sustnable such sic hy hav n xea come under no exinsic fc [ ] h ca be iane by heseves h c l e ii hgh a tton o discsivi21 he nciai of th aio to the sel the exisnia itores ha spp he as depends on a douement of narrtive hs pia ci is not to produce aina cognitive or
10 I gs d Machs
scenc explans bu genee cmplex ens (mhc cnceptl phansmc relgius nelsc) whch ge cnssenc he emergence new exsenil eres Ts des n men a ren he rrainl nr he age f mth; s a mtte bren wh he scenc paradgm in whch the nneeenth twene cenures ncludng Alhusser beleed Guatt tuns the esec experence n prduc ie he wk r bu a pragmacs f he relainship beteen he dscurse and he senl he acul and he iru he pssble and he real he prad w aeshec eerience cnsanly rerns s is ha hese aecs a mde f eisenia apprehensin re given a nce regardless r besides he a incaive nd descipive reains e necessary r caaling heir eisence in es f epesenain22
The pprach exisenl ees s ws elze b w a cean dscurse r semc lclztn wh he ce t the ltter s n n wa scenic bects nls Thee s n her wa access exsence bu tugh selexsenlzn Knwledge exsence eques wh Gutt llwng Vc clls a pcal ar an cgphes. The selfrelan he sel selecn n selpstnng w n he sgns mths naes n cncepulzns th rthe than acng s nsltn (whch s n n cse mpssble) the exsenl n the scuse see s cgrph r lclzan nd access prcesses f subjeciain and exis enl errres.
Te Discsv an e en n e Pductin ube 2 1
Es b lod appd, ad perhap it damtaly involvs r s prooon loon d roductio, so h ha s horohly antaons o the dicuive os o objvs prodrs.23
Bere berng or si messges, bere havig a dscriv ncon, signg semio at s existentil "reai. Thi d not men deprecition of laguage, of the ct r conta bstrcon-f om it h mre aba th atrah th more dverse the possiblies r ticati the dirive ad th nonscursive become; the mor abia th artrahy, t more propitous the grd r thir rtiati According to Gatari thr ar artgrahie here re "concrt rtgrahis dirty rodctive what I w cll exstentilizati whih rt a jctive territory at t sme me s h trahy i dpoyd [i, th exiteial ca torhy of per r r ven a atio] d the alo with t thr are uativ artorahi whih d t rod trritri which ar sodevel artrahi wh o is to n orgnize, d tit h rai tn thes t radily htrogen lvs24 H th dmnta ir ta f tlogicl, liti d hlphica deats Th tlogicl gumt at the dawn of Chitinity or th dats amog Bolsheik arud 90 did ot sere to etalish tue tatmnts but rther cartorahi aabl of ing pibiliti r culing th xittil d the dscusive, r ivti rns cpble of sei ubjtivity of mkng it p hhld f inng process Th Maxst or Freudi thrtial diurses hich claim sciti baes dd not receive heir social validtion' nsmuch s
2 2 Sgns and aes
th ysd, gave onsisten and tnsesai to the emeging, mutnt poin of subetivatio of apitism Like M Feud did not und a new siene thusse) but athe· instuments mthioonepu25 otion whih aowed, in the ase of M to eate a stage human histoy s he hsoy o he ss stugge) mythiooneptu pemes he poea s he sbje destned to aboish waged abo and soia sses) aabe o ezng and seotizng e singuai of sbet dg he st dsti evouton. B ways stating om indenabe ont unepesentabe sgnng poin whih one ws sposed o enabe the eaon o sbjetvation mehansms no n ode o e a sto bu so ha hisoy oud be made. ihn hs mewok, stoes, ones d myhs do not have a ommaon ntesubjetive, o ogve ion, ey have aeshe/ exsena one. The eaonshp s padoxa i is not eated, but it is not withou eaton), sne it is ony hough a etain use of disusve ategoies that one hs aess to istenti eets and mutations. Hr w d th sourc ofan's parado: its bcaus it is impossib r th son to b dad burid and rsuscitatd hat ths cs must b hd to b crtain Its bcaus many rspcs Frudian thory is myica that it ir rains of mutant subjctvaon.26
Speuative atogaphies nton not ony s pssive oizes, bu so as ative nitiatos of subetivation poesses is ony beause n of God that I have he oage to mh o to w d ge mysef ked [ . . .] d hese a be ompetey absat oeatos od s eativey onete!). [ . . .] [They] open a pgma
D ad h E h Prdc bjcv / 2 3
path to action, to existentiaization, to an istentia universe That is, these are not eementar empiricist entities27 t is at this point that Guattari returns to te Cisti, Leninist, and Debussst reains as thingamajigs [us] ("semiotic acts in the same a e sa speech acts), hich initiate subjectivation processes, bring into other universes of reference, and encourage action The discursive as such is not sucient to grsp subjectivit to engage it, or to spur it into action n order r it to do so,
dsouses ss and onepts must nton aess ponts to new ol the aammat ntatos ofaon The sphere of action pas a centra roe in schizoanasis The act can hep us understand the reationship beteen the dis cursive and the existenti because its expression, hich precedes reresentatin and, being itsef its on expression, nctions as a ind of cogito A ind of cogto insor as the act secretes its on rerence insofar as it is impossibe to isoate a rm om the act, insor as it constitutes n emergent c point om hich rocessuai is triggered, one beond hich there is no going bac For schizoanasis, the act does not occur ex nh t is not a diectica assage beteen everthing and nothing, oing binary ogic but a passage beteen heterogeneous dimensions There is no act in itse but instead degrees of consistenc in the existence o he act, existentia threshods reatve to the act The conditons of the act are the actualized ensembes and virtu ensembes of the assembage om hich the act derives ctuized ensembes constitute the dimension of that hich connects the act to behaviora stratications, structures, sstems, and segmentariies of ever ind With actulzed ensembes, the act aas appears s the proongation of something alread present
2 I gs d Mchs
[dun d of a certan repesentaton of somethng edy present nd wthn a teeoogc pespecte of certin poject, tsef epresented as we. And yet, n the couse of nayss, een f "eeryhn s nterpreted eerythn s cer nothng changes, nothng ows om ths representton 2 Anothe dmenson s needed n orde the ct to occur, a dmenson of the act that escpes epresenton agrammatc dmenson, mchinc dmenson To act nee mens ecomng conscous, to e conscous o o to possess the epesentation29 of somethng.30 Wth exstence nd the act, we no onger contem pate as we do n epesentton or sgnion oc, "we are n a pgmatc reton; we tcute or aggregte t t s the ct of ctng, the ct tht snetc sstems noe mte processes soca, economc nd sujecte mutaions.1 The choce and the ct efer nether to the suject's eedom nor to the diaectics of necess nd chance, snce oth are machinisms or Guattar the existentia s machinc and the machinic s no wy synonymous with mechnc detemnsm On the cntrary, the machnism of the ct means poducn modes of organization, untication whch open up a mutent ture to the process range of choceshe possty of heteoeneous connections eond aready encoded edy posse ntcpted connections.2 It s machinsm nd not mn tht secetes options, matters of choce, and osses t s theee wys necessar to ear mind that the act s nethe nhopomophc nor representate which does not howee me t one s eed of responsty. Responsit has oer ojects hen the och 'chooses he wsp ordr o, wy coop nto s epoucton pocess, h wsp boms of h
uv ad th Etal h dun ub I 215
ohis worl. But this os no ll hen in mo of esntation. It gos withou sying h hee is no eory o ersntational o in the in of he ochi Thee is no och brain! An et at th lvel of he och gmatic eession aks i suh that somehng of he w belongs o he ochi. Bu wht is that somehng cnno be loate wihin satiotemol ooinaes; it osnt involve uantiy of movemnt It is inorporel Th waspohi marriage evelos, hen incorpora which is a rtain ahini hoice [ ] Thee wa ossibiity br this ahini hoi b om he moment e hoi was a progrssiv vlopn llows om hee 33 Te choice and the act bo depend on macinism d on a certain ind of consistency of assembages Gai oen ces Lenis eampe order to account e eaonsp beeen istent (evotionay) armation and e consistency of collective, social ad poitic assemblages Te act is aua ui et non ihi because in a singular situation there are thresolds, "actance crysts a certai political situation, a certain stage in the organi zation of the pr, a certain phase of subjectivation of the woring class, etc), which, while t are not the cause of the act, deter mine the consistency of "optional matter [atr opon] I schizoanysis there is no determinism because the act occurs only when tere is a surplus value of possibilities, when there is a "possi bili of paying a completely new tue, when there are relative es of potena crti estabised34 Potenlies d possibles that must be created
2 6 I Sig
d Maci
4 C Crii Th ssnc o th "cunt ciss ls n th ncapac o captalst cs to artclat35 th dscusv and stntal dnsons n th possblty o assblng nsbls o actulzd conoc social d tchnologcl ows and th tul and incopoal dnson o subctvty poducton xistntil trrrs, and unvrss o vu I th poducton o sucvy s n pr o a scal ld a "poduct a poltcs a langua, and so rh, w ar cd, as s th cas today wth a patholoy f subctvy racst xnophbc, ndvdualst connd to on's wn ntrsts c. Th watchwords concng ploynt llploynt wags labo th dns o th wlar stat and s n, whch ought t conncd to subctvy do not lad to sucvaton prcsss, y do nt pn nto nw wods d n cnstut optonal a r drnday subctvy e pot pobem e te aclaon te concatnaon procsss convgng t a tchncl socal, and conoic achs and subctvaton pocsss wo. th s not ts quadrupl convgnc t dosnt wor36 Subctvaton ust occu n a sst o ows that low on to b wtn atial c thos o conoc soc lngstc pducton, "whch at th sa t hav to gv you th producon o subctvty Nolr captals (and what ans o t worrs ovnt} has n unabl rtculat th rlatonshp btn conoc scal, and tchnolgcal lows and th changs and bcongs o suctvy gn n odrn-day captals Nr has t ·succdd n aculang discusv anng (conoc scl nstutonal and stntal anng caus undr currnt condtons as uch th subctv gur f h nrprnur as
T Dr ad h Ea Pdcn ecivit 2
r the wage-en "h's no myc consisten, d othg makes you want to lav on te Crusades or star aoher Octob�r Reoluton!37 The articato bee heterogeneos eels does ot happe spotaeousy, t ust be costructed, inented, worked o. The rticulao s r bu ot ecea; or s t a work of chace. We re ways g a paradoxica situato. The utations of subject are sudde, occurrg at te speeds, says Guaari at happes s ge sraghtawa the, secody, scrsey; oe says to oesef: Ist t borg here? Ist t neveracg? Ist he abace great? Ths rs ge costtutes a dsposto or a suato which s tat Im ere, e roo, ad te eunciaio tkes o cosste38 at ses hese codesaos, these aggomeraos, hese ds of eucae cumps, s ot on he order of kowledge Esteta crystazato maes t such hat there s a certai dsposito beee te way n whch oe arages sigs, sees lstic rms, fels tme: t's orgazed le that pror to ay other constcon hse points of crystaization, codesao, ad agglomeato scint in thmseles. They subsequey requre "asthtic nd "icopolticl compleo. esthetc because hr is n oviousnss to th enunciatio whe there s a relatoshi o love o hat hat is h Sinoza puts t we'e neer wron as I lways say, evn a o idiatl nows whats gon on he dosn't sea ut clrly ss hat we are aot to hit o t hi At th sm time "thr is an ethco olticl dension cas this atter is not only aeshtic, bt is lso wrapped u rsvsl latiosps wih o copletly hetoeo lls39 whthr oltcal, soc conomic, arisic ad so on.
28
gns d Macins
Work on hese emergenc i carried ou ccordi to a methodology of he "aesheic pdigm, of the topica t of cartographies. Jus he artis mt ot wai r whaever d of spaion is going o come, poitic acion must constrc ad inv ools and procedures of xprenaion, research d intvention aimed rs of t h producion of subjctiviy rather han t the economic, h oci or he linguisic. The relaonship beween h cursive and he non-disci been the conceptl and h xttl, nsead of lea to slnce ("ha can' be sid mutt b aid) mus be workd o cocepualized, semioized, sagd told d so rth, begii with he unrepresenable. Raher h idg Badios reropc ve delity (deliy o he event oc h vent h en place), o mus intene in the emergence of ponts of proo-enunciaio and protosubjectivaton. Emring cryszaions, codo, nd agglomro rech hir aesheic and ehica compltio a bo c political lel Wor o point of subtatio t i ot cursive, a poit of bcvton t i mcholc choc or pychoc) d t t mcropol e pot of reoto reacionary, facit p etc co A exti ctio iiig cytaiztio rppd p i ming d deoto e he dogh of Th dght. o wor o me r m om e yr pog m d putg tm " poio o pofrt [ . ] tt i o talih cocio oci eor of pro duco pses to or rgistr40 Lng d ig emotc me p ir t co to of prodcto cot cpitm or t coo of polit ricaio of eqliy cir L to of
Te Discursive and the istential in te Podtion of Sbjeii 2
potetia poitcs the condtons of poducton aise nstead om the production of subjectvity nd its aticuation th the inst inal he ecoic, he scil the linguistic ad s . The great eri f Guaai's work lies in its prleaizig he relationship beee he discusive and the non-scusive, eplorig he modliies f aiclai f he eistential wth ecmc scial ad poliica ws I highlihts he weakesses f cempray, supposedy ctc or revoluiay theories. On he e hnd we have with Badou or Racire subjecivation that has o need to be aticulated wih socia economic or cultur ows snce i stnds by itse Potcs i considered idependent autonomous wth respec to what Rancire d Badou ecoomics simpy becaue he view they have of economcs d of capitalism in general is a caicature of the one proered by economis themselves Capitaiss rce does not le n e objecivm of "the laws of the market but the capacity to ticuate economics (nd communicato con sumption the weare state etc) wth the production of subjecvi i varius ways we have rgued extesivey what Badiou ad cire economcs implies and explois sueciiy thouh scil subecis and machiic enslavee T say, wih Badou d cire ha pliica suectivaton ca deive om Capital is obviously cmpleely dieret om exaiig heir paadoical iterdepedece I he rst cse you have he ilusi of a pue plitics sice suecivai, le adi never aais he necessay csisency est I he secd, yu open up sies r epemeaion nd csruci sice sueci vaion us, it is to exis take o csisecy eavee and recoe he socia the pliical the ecnmic, ad s 41 Cgiive capitalist theries also fail iculae he prduc ton of suecvi ad he heterogeei f e discursiv the
220
I g d Mach
economic, he socia, nd so on, because eryhing is steered back to te actulized ows of "nowledge, to he ligustic, cogtive, and represetatioal dimensio, to e preverbl, pre-cogniive, d oreexive dimensio Kowledge is supposed to lll the nctiosas mulple as they are implausiblef the reatio of possibiities, aeshetic creatio, and e productio of subjec tivity at have to do istead with the existetia aiic. Te ivetor o te ew deitio o apitis sows unbri ed ait i kowedge: "he cognive exeriee is ways asa or geprocess of world-makg o reatg ossibles, says Enzo Rni The "cognitve eperiee aso deveos world viws aesei odes whih, tey spead ge peoe's vues Kowedge is ot only at the basis o eoomic ad aesetic vaues, but so hose of subectviy produto Thrugh ogitive exerience, "we ope to the possibii that it age er eption of the wod and orseves, our at idety42 He, ie is disipes, bithey conses he produtio o subecivity wh the produtio o owledge Kowege, nforaio, nd lnguges, s such, have no abil to create possiblities, to mulpl opol ater Knowledge like foratio nd semioc ows ways nctio a sigle direc io "hey lways iscursivize O the oe hnd, tis es at ey lways rei o he same plne, ever rcig he existeti terrtories where he utaion of subecvty tkes place O he oher nd, soclld cogive cpitlism hs ade ocrete the ocept of "ntiproductio, because it hs saturated he publc sphere with ignornce, comoplaces, nd subectve impovershment hout precedent Aproductio is o onger limited, as in disciplinry societies, to he eclusive preogtives of e State (ary, polce, et) I
Dsursv and snal n l Prducin j I 1
odern-day cpitlim, ntiprductin s everywhere peve and no r tn n "cgnitiv prcon. I nrodce a lack where her i lway t muc, t , arre o a verible deron f t knwlg, cultu, nd dertanng t re no beholden t captit lgic T cgnitive dveen h the knowede ciy h nctd cr te board n edun reearch ultu, rt, nd lwher, rprn oeran f pwer ha reqe privtiztin, cmptitin, irrchaon protabil and oay rit Ty r prt f "ntipron prgrm ha a rgrm r t mgztin tdrdton o knowede undrtnding, d cltur A-ructin "dubl the cpitl d th w koede wh a a an qvnt f pd [ . . ]. Not n lak ad overbnne but tuity in he d o nede ad ene.43 Cgve apitlim endo bjev no h knw ede bu wh updy een hen ed (A MA, P e.) een whn ke de he he d o n44 "ve dvemen enre boh eonm veen (prer dereen erabe wae r he new og ve rera) nd or wh he bune re n nowede ar c d oncaton I e a aer o onve or ltr cap he noede oe d on h f he pwer and kowede reaon ha ee od he bjetvt he aon on he whoe h ha abe f ada and bng o the echne ode o abor oraiaon conon ommu on nd rba nd e enroen oveed b rotab nd d he ren d rodon o he ne re no ade be hrogh owedge noraon or on b hroh
222
gn Machn
an estnti mutato, a trnsrtion which involvs th non-rsiv pon of sbjctiv of ths stti trtois of hee ode of subjetvaon. Tht cognitiv cpitlist thory is unabe to xplan own objets of study (innovtion th crton of someing nw, new kowled) is synthticlly donstrtd by the tutology dvaed by oe of s thorists who dns this conomy s "nowldg poduo togh nowldg. "Out of the mee poess of linguistic cognitiv conom, t, ows nw subjetvi annot rg nor nw knowledge, no any kind of nnovaton Evn scinti and knowledg prodction is shid om a scentistic or cognvst paadgm to n sthtic radm, i ohr words sience and knowledg r bholdn to n at of subjctivtion n Bt's sense n txt Gttri cits: "o wthin th wold of ogtio, o onict is possible r in tht world on cnnot meet wt ything xiologicly drnt in kind Not scine, but sientist c entr into conict nd do so moreove not athedra, bt as n astic subieum r who cognition is the permed at ofoion."45 Only rtr with th mod of sbjctivtion c scrt n xistntil crystlliztio prodctive of nw rrns nd nw slositionings hich in their trn opn th possibility r constrcting nw lnguges nw knowledg n stheti pr tices nd new rs of li. To brak with th doinnt signictions d th stblishd rms of lie we ust pss throgh points of nonsnse throgh th asigniing and non discrsiv which in olitcs nist themselves in the strik rvolt or riot h lttr sspnd ti r brief mont nd create othr possibilitis o which thy tak on consistn othr sbjecti vtions nd istntil crystaliztions ight prolierte
he Dscusve and he Esenal n the Producton o ubectv 223
In s lteative logic I'm superimposing on te discursive, the same elemen of semiotic discursivity are taken in the opposite sense and, at tat point, it's insofar tey produce-not discur sivities compared mong temselves-but insofar they produce existence, sensible territories and universes. According to tis logic, te constlations tat emerge consee te same elements, but in one case ou have semiotic productions and in te oter subjective productions46
This carography of h prodcion of sbjcivi which brs radicly wih anyic phiosoph wh Lacanianis, lingisics nd a crain yp of Marxis prody changs h prspciv o which o conciv a poiics consra wih h crrn crisis.
22
Sgn d Machn
Ecao ad Pocs
Para Rag cracy ucau a Racr Revolionary discorse plays he role of parrhesisic discorse when i es he rm of a criiqe of ising socie Michel Fol, Th Coura oh Th
The resl to delegate to poltc es n unons eesenttion of that whch dvdes society (poe weah, owe, n so on) s well as o the State epsentatio of h which i comon cie sh commuity oites n new conceion of oltc cton that came out of he "evoon of My 68. The sgle r "an other lfe ad a othe wo, he ght olic ansrmaon ad the nsmon of he se£ mst go beyond both otc eesenio n inisic eesenttion in vo of new ms of oaniztion rcy enve not ony o the teances odced b aso n n tc the moes of poducton. Focals st ectes esonae wth Guttai's aesthec m with his nestning of oiics as inventon an exeimenion, s we s one of his nen contions hs; he ovecomn of the semocs of sbjectve e A ce sef-osionin n sefmion the "exsenti ncon, whe nonngsc, conses n essental elemen in
225
evey-nd espclly poltcalnuncaton. At the cor of ths ew d ogn pot o w brng o oeprsentative "democcy, one ds the rlatonshp btee the exstntal d eucto, betee selfraton and poltcl speech 1. Two Ees I tevew gve to a cntrl rvu, Jacqes Rcr rges tht Foclt ws eve terstd n poltcal subjctvto not t te teoetcl level y cas H was concd wth powe1 s s somewht hsty an ohand judnt sce poltical sbectvto epesets the nt o oucault's wok deed, we e ced wth to dcaly drnt concptons of poltcl subjectvto. Cotry to Rancr, who hcs etalzes poltcs, Foculd poltca sbjcvaton s ssocable om ethospoess (the mo o hos, he elato to he self) he ecessty to coo the tasrmio of sttos, lws, ad the transrmaton o te sel oths, ad exstece epesets oucaut, te problem ofpoltcs self ts post68 congato. e to deet cocepts of subectvato eveal two ahe eteogeeo polcl poects as c easly be see wen com prg te athos gs of Geek democa e o ppoaches show emakable deeces not oly the cocepto of poltcs bt lso of laage ad enuncato o Re Geek democ s demostted oce ad tht the clsve pcple of poltcs s eql d that lgustc eql te mml eqlty ecessy compeheso amog speakes) cots e pcple of vecto poltcal eql Speec wee t sses a commd or poses a problem, pespposes eemet lagage. Polcal acto mst augmet
226 gns
d Manes
ad eectuate ts power of equali, howeer ltle there may be, contained in laguage. I Foucault's reag of s same democra, equali cotutes a necessary but not scient condon of polics. Enuciaon (truth-telg [e de rai]pasia) creates padoxcal relaton ships since truth-teing introduces dierences of enunciation into the equality oflanguage. This necessarily impies n "ethical diereniation. Polic action is cried out wih the context of "paradoxcal relaionships beeen the equaliy of lnguage and derences of ennciaon, ad beeen equlity and the poducton of new rms of subjectvaton nd singulaity
2 TTeg (Pahia} Foucalt examines democracy by way of trth-telling arrsia), in other words, the "seizure of speech of someone who rises in the assembly a takes te risk of stating the truth conceing the airs te city In analzin ecra Foucaut returns to a classic teme of one of his masters Nietzsche tat the vlue of trut the will to truth r stll mre the estin: ho ats the trth? he relationship beeen trth an sbect is here n lnger se in the terms Focalt ses in s rk n er He asks hrough which practces an hch tpes scrse does power atempt to spea the t te ma te elent te cerated subect? How has per cnsttte te seakng subject, te worng subject, e liing sbect as an bect of nowlede Stating in the late 1970s s erspecte se, clated in te llwing terms What trt scrse is te sect "suscetle a capable of sayin abt hsel
Enunca ad Pliti 22
The l o quetioig tat ru thug s rag o rek emocracy i oriete by a ticaly Niesc qustio wich i ct ha to o with preet circumstace: Wat os truthtellig man er the eath o o Ulike Dotoyvk t roblm i ot ow to behave i li i vythig i permitt but rater: i otig i true ow soul oe live? If th cocr r truth cosists its rmat problmatizatio, what wat power, what kowlg a what scurive practcs ca rso to uch a cocr Capitss aswr to the quetio i the costituto o a mar ket o lie i which eople puche the exitec tat sut thm It i o loger philoohic chool, in anciet rc or Chri ti or the revolutio project of the ninett a teteth cturie, that rnih moe o extece, moels o subjctivato but rater corporatio, the meia, the culture iusty t ittu tios o t wa state, unemploymet iurac a o o moay capitim, goveig inequits i iticably linke to the prouctio governing of moe o ubjctvatio, to rms of ie Toay police operate tough both the ivio an itributio of oles the ocatio of nctio tou the injuntio to conform to certin moe of fe icom, very beet, n every wge e part of n "etho that prcribe a egage certin couct, that is, a way of oig an ayg Neo ibem rpr at oce th retbimnt ofa hierrchy ue o mo mrt, n nhritanc, an a geune "fe in which biee n th St, by replacng the chootr or e confeor, precrib how to behave how to eat, ive, re, lov, pek, etc Moeray capitim, it private eterprie an ititutio, recribe a ce r an work o the ef that are imutaneouly phyical an metal a "welbig an n aethetic of existec,
228 Sgs a Mas
whih mk out the new ontiers of the capitalist subjetion ad onomi valorzation indiative of an unprcdented imoveh mnt �f subjetiviy. Fouault's lat letues povde n invluabl tool r problma zing these queions. His nlysis rst of dmands that on not isolat te poliical at as suh, s Ranire does r aordng to Foucault, n doig so one us the sk of mssing th secici o capitist powr The later rticulates he oltl nd t ehical he neul divisio o soie, t produton of models of xistenc nd of diursive pracics. Foucat a u to brn toether he alyi of rms of ubjctivaon ad h aalysi of dsursiv pracie nd "tehniqu ad rocdr r directing hma behavior2 I short, subject powr, ad owldg must be thought boh in tir irreduiblity ad in their cssa relaion I moig om h mode of political ubjeivatio om which it drives to th spher o personal thic and h cosiuio of th ethial subect ar rsa oer h posibili o hikig the omplex relatios betw these "three ditict elmt noe o hich ca b rducd to or absorbd b the others, but whos relatio are coitutive o each ohe3
3 ara oa ora unaa In hs lst to letues, Fouault dmostrat tat pasa (th tuth-telling of someone who ris i h assembly), polea (he onstitution hat guntees th quiy o iiens), and soa (the statutoy right of anyone to pak redless of ocial statu privileg of birth, wealth, or owlede) establih paradoxical rlationshis between hem. I order r pasa to xst, in order r truth-tellin to be eetd both pola (th constitution
ca d Ps 229
guaranteeing equaity) n oa (all may seak ublicly nd have their say in the airs o the ci are necessay But neither poltea nor oa say ho i acuy seak ho in rety exress a caim uh nyone hs he riht to se but it is not he equ istribution o the right to seak hat mes one sek in ct he eecve ercse opaa eens neither on citiensh nor on ega or socia status Potea n oa the equi these o ecare reresent ony the necessary but not sucient conons r seakin ubicy Wat eectivey mes one seak is duna: the oer the rce the ercise the real eecuaon o the oer to seak hat mbiies the seakers singar reaions ith himse an ith those hom he aresses he dunatea exresse in enuciation is a rce o ethc dierentiation because it means takng a osition in relation to the se to others an to he o By takng sies n ividing equs by bringg oemic an pte to te ommt s a risk nd indetermnate act t introuces conict agonism an contest into ublc sace ch may en in hostiity hate ar ruhteling the claim to tuth voice in n assembly (an e might aso o those sembies in contemoy social d oitical movements since reek democracy unlike modern emocra as not reresentative) resuoses a rce a oe action uon the sel to have the courage to ris telling the tth) an action uon others in order to ersade them gide them an steer their conuct is in tis sense that ocat sek o ehic ierentiation a rocess o singliation initiate ad oene by the arrhesiastic enunciation. aa imlies that oiticl subjects constitute themseves as ethicl subjects caable o taking isk osing a chaenge iviing equs accoring to their
30 gs and Mne
positions, in other words, capable o governn themselves and o governng others withn a situaion o cot. he act o polii enunciation, in assuming publc speech, a powr o sel-positionin mniests itsel a power o sel-ectaion subjectiviy ectin itsel s Deleuze very rightly puts it with rrd to Foucauldian subjectivation Parrha restructures and redenes the possible eld o aon r th sel and r others It modes the sitution it opens a nw dynmcs r it ndeed introdues somethn new "Even i it implis a status I arrha is connectd much less to status hn to a dynmic and a combat, a conit So, a dynamic and aonistic struture o arrha" that surpsses the gaitin amwork o riht law, and constituton 4 The nw rltionships w tt-telin msts not ontined nor ntcipated t onsttuion t w or qui And yet it is oug tem nd o ough tm t o ation is possil tht it os n rat Truth-telng thus deends on to heteogeneos reges one o rit (olta nd go) nd on o dua (owr or r nd it is r hs reason that te retons eeen enuncition (sourse) ad democra is "it d oemai By into duing de cto dierence equi y expressin t power o sel-aectaion and sel-armtion aha nstutes a tod paradox First, "here only u disourse through demor but ue discourse inroduces somtn ompletely ferent om d irreducible to he egalitari strutue o democracy'' tt is etical dierentiation Second "te dth o true discours t possiblty o its deah or o is rdution to slence,''5 is nscried eualiy r compeiion conit gonism, and hosili htn demoracy and euali Such has tvely taken place in Wste
Enuncain d Plitics 2
emocace whee thee s no one any sace e pahsa. Democac consenss ne pahsa ces the sk of t te an of the sbjectvaon n acton that ow om t
4. nnaon d Praa The eence beteen Rances a Focalts ostons emees s moe ceay when one e examnes the eatonsh of ln ae an enncaon wth ocs an oca sbjectvaton Fo nce, when those who have no at n the commn (les saspa" the emos o oetaat) seak, hs oes not y n awkenn conscosness, the exesson of a seccty of the · eson who ss ntees o s membesh n a socal o), bt athe the eqa of he oos The neqaty of omnaon esoses the eq of seakes, snce n oe the mstes oes to be ce ot by sbonates, mste n sbonate must uestan each ohe n a common anae. The act of seakn, even n the cse of hy asetcal eatons of owe (Menens Aps seech on the Aventne whch ams to let mate he hechcal eences of the socety), esoses nestann wthn lae, pesuposes "he noton at the stana of equlty s he law [ ] of the commntn boy6 Fo oltcl acton to be ossle, t s st necess to ost eqalty that ctos as he meue n on of he aume taton an emostaton of the dste beeen he le (of eqaly) an the specc case (the eqalty of he olce)7 Once eql h een ecle somehee, ts ce mst be e ze Once nsce somehee, t mst be exne an enfoce Ealt poltcs ns ts lemacy an aments the loc an stuctue of lae Poltcs conssts ceatn a stae
22 Sgs a
Machns
around any specic nct on which the equality and inequalit speaking beings of the prtnes in the conit an be played out."8 Ranie, thee is indeed loic f langue, but this loi is upset by te dity of he lgos-speeh nd he conting f speeh Speeh is t once the sie of mmni (speech that states pblems) nd dvision speech tht ives ordes) Ainst his dualiy politic enncitn mst ge nd emonstrate hat thee is ne single common lnue" d estlis tht the nient dems just like moden proletais, is composed of eins who thugh e ve ct of speing nd ruin, are caple of eason nd speeh d dint of this eq to tose who command hem T q has otn to o wt more or less s or oq stc cotets; has to o wth osrao of s bns as sch9
hees Rnire pls with unverss an scrsive ronli (The rst requiement f uvesa is tht speing bengs n veslly elon to the lnguisti cni'), 10 whle at the sme tie distncing hiselfom hem, Foct esbes sectvon s n mment pess f upue onsttution of he sect For Fouclt paha to bow a phrse om Gttri, lae," ut it s exits pagmais such atc posoph denes it Thee is n aionli o disursive logi ecae enna tion is not indexed t e ules of lane nd pagmais her to the risk f stking a psition, to existenil nd plitial selfrmtion Thee is n logi f lange; hee is an aeshetis f enuton in that enuniatin does not vei what is alead pesent (equliy) but opens to somethn new risin r the st tie throh he vey at f speaking
Enuncan n Poltics 233
Parrha i rm of citio r irt om aae b th ire prgmtic of prrmti Perrma e are exprio ti "ritl which prppo mor or e oliz a of th pker i hich the ha he eitio m proc i alre itittio gie Cot io ear b omeo athoriz to do o b a tio rehearl whoe ee r kow ad) Iere para doe ot prppoe a tt; i i he ao of ao a Ulik perrma ttre op p pei rk a poib a e of ger or t rt de eet 11 Th irrptio ofparrha reae a ar mak a ro ito gie ito a make a era mber of et poib tha co be kow ahead of me The ee of ciio r ot o aa gla b ad egage h citig b r of Th rongrao of he ebe rl oer he pero ho peak Wh e prhe tera he peakg be drak a dob pa w hme he d mef o he eranc d o he oe of he erae o wha he h ad nd o he ha he ha d he eao ha a reroae ee o he be moe of beg: prog of th erae he be mod or arm or a determe ad ie h mode of beg ofar he pak 12 Parrha maf e orge ad h poog of he pero who e he rh who a wha he hk e i o mafet e eroor' orage geeg o p a re e h h he hea3 The pro who pek he rh who a wh he g a wre he rh he ae h bid hef o h h d he oqe bod o d b
24
ig d Macies
it."14 But he also tes a isk wch conces is very relation with those he addresses Whereas the prossor possesses a knowledge o teh and iss notng by speng, the parrhesist not only riss provong coct but so hostlity hate and war." He runs te risk o dividing equls. Beteen the person who speks and what he says beteen the speker and the person who accepts to receive his speech n ec ve and subjectve link is established a beie which as Wili James reinds u is a gness to act."5 The relation to the sel the relation to ohers and the belie that binds them c be limited neither by equli nor by right 5. Th Crss ofPahesia
Rancre views the csis o Greek democra s a simple pretext r aristocrats' desire to reestablish their prileges o birth rnk and weath whereas Foucault without neglecting tis spect views the css o Gree eocracy s centered around the reaton beteen pot n es equli and erentiation he enemes o deocra put their nger on a problem whch e sorers o equlity s the sole princile o poitcs (Rancire Bao) to see and wich constitutes one o te pills nto whch nineteenh- and tentiehcentury comnis el r lack o practicable responses. the eneies o deocracy argue everyone can have their say about the fairs o the comunity there would be as any constitutions and governent as individuls everyone cn spek then te insane drds and halts are authorized to express their opinions on public airs n the same way s those best suited to do sothe per as many wold have it today In deocracy
Eao a Po I 235
copetiton, agos, an conict beteen equals ho clai to spek the tuth egeneate to the seduton of oatos ho atte the people in the asembles If thee s uotole istibution of the ght to speak, "yoe n say anyhig o eveything Gven that ho can the good nd bad oato be dstinguishe? Ho an ethal ieentaon be undetaken he tuth, the enemes of demoacy clam nnot be told thn a politica el ened by "a lak of eene betee speg subjects [D]ray nt ak r r t thic dierenitin spaking dibrating and isinaking ubjecs16
hese gments mmedately eall the neolibeal citques evee at he "solst egalitaansm motvatng deas equal age ieses ad equl sol ghts equity hes eeo, equalty pevet "ethl dieenation, it ons subectivi in the ndeene of subjets of ights Like Guattai, Foucault ans us that one cannot oppose neolibeal "eeo, a eedo hh, in i, expesses the poitical il to eestablish heachies, nequties, an piveges though "egalitaian politics hat ould mean making shot shi of the citiques that politicl moveents have levele at soialist egaitaians, ell bee libel ctics did so Foucault oes oe than denounce he eemies of emoacy Dag on the Cynics, he upends the astoa ctiques o he hoe tuf that of ethical ieentation hat of the consuton of the subjet n his becoing ut of the csis ofpahsa eege a "tuth-telling hat s no onge exposed to the isks of polics uthtelling ove om s polil ogn to the sphee of pesonl e and the ostuon
236 Sgs Mas
of the morl subject. But it does so according to n ternative: that of a "metaphysics of the soul nd n "aesthei of life; that of koledge of the sol, of its purcation, which aows access to n other wold, and at of pracces and techniques in order to test, to experiment, the se lfe, and the world in the here and now The constituion of the se not as "sol, but as "bios, as a way of li The teaive is lready contained in Plato's text, but it ws the Cynics who made it explicit and trnd it against te enemies of democra throu its poltczation The opposition between he Cynics and Platonism c be smarzed ths the rmer rticu ate " other i/an other world, thereby producing n oter subectivity nd oher instutions in this world, wheres r the latter tere is "te other world ad "he other lfe, whose articula tion wold prove so rotable to Chrisiani e Cynics revoke he radionl theme of "true lfe in which trut-teing had tken rege. "True lfe i the Greek tradition "is one which shuns distrbnce, chnge, corruption, and the fl, nd which remins wihout chnge in the identy of its being17 e Cycs coter "tre fe by cliing nd praccing "an oher lfe "whose otheess mst led to the cge of the world A othe life r n othe world18 They reverse the heme of the "sovereign lfe (tranql ad benecil trnql r oneself [ ] d benecil r oers) by drazng it in te rm of what cold be led e mitt life, e ife of batte nd strggle nst nd r sel inst nd r others, "batle in ths world nst he world19 The Cnics go bond he "crsis ofph the powelessness of democra nd eq to poduce etl derentation, by bining poltics nd ethcs (and uth) nissolubly together poltlly drmat nd recogre e queson of the relaon to the self by tg it om the good fe, te sovereign lfe of ncient tot
ucao ad Poc 23
6 Two Moe of Poc Acon These o readings of Greek democracy are informed by to very derent models of "revolutonar' acon. For ncire, poltcs consttutes the reparaton of a wrong done to equli, a reparaton relized through demonstraton, agment, and intelocution In politcal action, those with no par in te com munity must demonstrate that they are speang and are not merely emtng noise They must lso demonstrate that they do not spe an unown or minor language but press themselves in nd master the language of their masters Finll they must demonstrate through their argumen and inteocuton that they are at once beings of reason and speech This model of reolutionry action, unded on demonstration, argument, and interlocuton, ims at inclusion, "recognition, which, however litgious, very uch resembles dalectca recogni ion Poics bngs about a dision throu which "the nd "we oppose an take accont of one anoer, in which to wods split whe at same te recognizing that tey a a of e sme commuiy "The ncouted coud make teses cont by shong e proces of ivision ad breg in on os i nd appiang it hemselves20 If w wt to n something resembling Rncis o we oght not to look at olitical democracy bt at he social emocrcy t ce out of the New Dea and osar years e social ocra which one stil nds in e co-etermination octine of ench socil securi represents in its mist nca naion e "iaectic model of he cass stggle in whch te ecognon and diste beeen "us and " constitute e ngine of citlist elopment and indeed of ocacy itsel£
28 gns and ans
hat Jaques air deds i the sial demray f the wefare state is a puli sphere f ituti i whih wrers (rrmist trade uis) are iuded as plitial suets d wr is ler a privat ut rather a pui Oe igs to old abusive gs o a ateal ad tetacula State te istitutios of solidait d secui bo i woke d deoatic stuggles d aaged o coaged the ee setatives of cotibutos Yet i stugglig t tis ticl State it is ecisel oState istitutios of solidai tat ae attaced isttutos tat wee also sites wee eet caaies wee ed ad eecied caacities takig cae of te coo ad te coo tue tat wee dieet to tose of te goveet elite21
The whl rul with Rais psiti (ad mre eery with th ls) lis i th diulty he h i ritiqu ad seei yd this mdel, a mdl wh suly xpaded demray i the twtieth etury ut whih tday prsts a euie sta t the emeree f ew ets ad w sujs f pitis The mdel is sttutially inapale f iludi plitial sue ther tha the tat, uis, ad usiss assiatis Fuaults alysis f Gree demray pvids a mpltly dieret mdel y, i rder t prlmatiz pliti sujti vati, des he l t a philsphial shl suh as h Cyis a mari" shl, a mrity" shl a ppular philsphia shl withut muh dtrial strutur? at Fuault suests is the llwig: W hav mved yd th dialetial ad ttaliig plitis f h dms" Whev has partthe pr f ait tims th third state,
Enuncation and Po 23
the moden proletariat-cannot in ct hv any oter part oth tan all or noting." 22 It is dicult to imagine the Cy jut as it is post'68 pl cal movements (om women movnt to movements o h unemployed), rming we are the p we are bot te p and te wole." In Foucault's model, te issue is nt nuring tat toe wh have no part are ounted, nor teir detating that they pk the sm language as thei asters. The iue is a transaluain ll values, which also and especially cns tose with no pat nd teir mode o subjectivation. Jn transaluatio, equality combn wit dierence, political equality wit etical erentiatio W meet up wit Niesce again in the Cynics, tose wo ee e istory o pilosopy as counteriters," as h h a the value" o money. The Cynics' mott e a e to debasement o m (omma) n t aent he w (omo. Th s t sk r rogo, hey t k t b utd ue iz d sru h u d wy he pe ugh xeent l x h exti n xin d h wld h poblem th u o he s as ethilcal ubjt uires a spec tu ge [N]o gr t h ip, te acquisition o u ooss w hh e ar l equips onesel r lie ad t vts but ht he attenn cused on onese on wat bl t do . . ] ]he gam tut do not come under mathmata hy are not ting that tugt and learned, but exercs pms on onese selexation; test o endurance."3
20 g nd Machines
Here the poltca truth gmes practced in the consttuton of a other life and an other wod are not those of recogton, demostraton, and argument-based logc, but those of a politcs of experimentation that brings together rights nd the rmation of ethos. The opposition beteen Plato nd the Cnics neitably reminds us of the diereces beteen Rancire ad Foucaut
7 Logos a sece, Teaer a Peormace For Rancire, politics only exists through the constitution of a "tearical stage on which actors perform e concet of polticl tect accordg to a double logc of dscursii ad argu metao at s a oce resonable (since it postulates equality) a reoable sice ere des equal exst order r polics o exs a sage f speech and reso' must e costrcted on whc oe eac ramaes, in the theaica sese of e word, te gap eee e e nd the deed, beee pce gc he ic of e quai Tis cocepto of politcs is ormatve aco ich public space i not conceied as iter ocut ug speec ad reon is ot poitcl. The actos of rsa s n 00, whch failed to respec is mode f maon, re not considered political by Racire
he isse is no ineang people who e mos par are Fenh b ensing ha he e eaed as eqals . . ] he qesion is whehe he are oned as poliil sbjes endowed h a shared langage . . ] I wold appe ha is eol was no poliial s I ndesand he em i did no onsie a sage of ineloion eoging he enem s belonging o he se ommni as onelf.24
Ennciatn and Pitics / 241
It is true that contmporry oveents a the oicl logic Rancire descb by consuctng a stage of speech and rson n order to deand equy ough deonstation arentaon nd interlocuton. But hn to e recognized s ne politcal sujec tey do not ke s rm of acton the only one that be dened s oltcal Smor impotant these stuges play out tn a contt that i no lonr t of he dialectics and toton of the dmo, a deos whch is t onc prt nd totali "nothng and ee. On the contr in order to ipose theselves as new political sujects they mut brk hrough the deadlock of the olitic of he "people and workn class such as it exsts in the poliical and ocil deocrc of ou ocieties. Political ovmnt ply o d wit dirent rs of political action but ccordin to loic t i not ted to the ting of equli nd it bnc Euai is he necessary but not ucient condtion of he dierenal rcess in hich rights r " are the soci ases of a sujecvaton that uids "an othe lfe and an oher world The young savages of the French suurs as one sociaist inister caled them resele in certain respects the Cynic ar arians who instead of the ordery dialectca gaes of recogniton nd argnt rerred to leave the theatricl stage and invnt a derent ce one that had ie to do wth the theater Rather than of the stage the Ccs ae n of conte porary art perrances where puc osure (in he doule sens of manifestaton and risk of danger) is not necessariy carried out in language in seech nor hrou sig seoics nor even thrugh draaturgy with characters interocuton and dogue Ho does he sujectivaon rcess hat oens to an other fe and "an oher world wor? Not sly hrou seech and
242 Sgs d Mes
n Cnic no ony "pn n ut o d mtng vn nuncin nt init xpd tu niing cn tiin n nd {ing itin nd di (mtn vmkin in puic pvking cn dizin cin t t nd t nd nt "pmtiv cniqu tt c n mipici miic wn tick wnding gn pov nd t nd t tu wc Cynic xpd i w o i nnv m o nncn Gt con xmp v nd pic pnc contut xpv pcc nd mitic ddd t ou mn t n pc In Cynic "pmnc nu m tn dnov nd pnttiv nction; n xnt nctin m n nd pitic; n u m it p cnuc x n tti tw p o v k ditin: t n nd pt tt p o "g in t wd u dicu nd c nin nd t ut ct n o t Cnic wic i "in w int itd pt witut dicu i tt pctc nd xpimntn Cc i puic nt n viu ng pc ut i xpd in i "mt nd d i I i "mti pi cy puic i tt immdit cn divin cnttiv G ci puc pc t pi n t n nd nd t pivt mngmnt t d n t It i nt mtt pping " nd "xitnc ut t itung n in t gp tn tm in d t qutin w i nd intitutn F t Cic t n tu cpt n t wc i t m m m itnc mnn
Enunciaio and 243
d phyical model of the tuth, but also an enterise of demonstration, conviction, and persuasion through dscourse.2 Like most contemporary critical theorists {irno, Buer, Agaben, Michon, Zizek), Rncire betrays a logocentric bias Despite his criticisms of ristotle, we are stil dependent on and stuck in the theoretical amework of Greek philosophical thought: man as the only animal with language and a poitical anmal because he possesses language By attacking the "distribution that the logos establishes beteen man and animal, the Cynics attack the undations of Greek and Weste phiosophy and cuture [n ancien ou nimali plaed e role of absolue poin of erenaon r e uman being I b disinguising isf om nimali a e umn being sseed d mnifesed i umani Aimali ws alwas, more or less, a poin of repulsion r e consuon of m s a raonl nd umn being.2
The Cynics dratie not ony the erence beteen equalty and inequality but lso the practices of the "true ife and its insttutions by exhibiting shaeless li, a scandlous life that manifests itself as a "chllenge and exercise in he prcice of ity 8 T isributio of Snsible: Or, Dision and Producon
Despite ncire's opposition between he ehcl and he political, poliicl subjecttion r sl plies ehos and truth gaes I reres a mode of conston of e subject through speech nd reson which perrs he uh gmes of "demonstra tion menon, and inelocuton Een in ancire (or agnst ncire) politics cnno be dened s a specic actiit
2 igns and acin
becas it is joind to ethis (the onstittion of a sbjt of raon and sph) nd trth (discrsiv ratis that demonstrate and g). t is hrd to s how it old b othrwis. But it is impossibl to mk politis an atonomo mode o action it also impossibl to sprat politis om what Focat calls th "mirophysis of powr relations. Th daisms of th "distribtion of th sensible whch orgaze th distribon of prts (th lss division between borgeos who possss peech nd proltriat who ony noise) a wel the mode of bjetivation (s/thm) imply mcropoca relaon. Molr dvions prsppos nd drive om moec reaonips. To a cen xtnt w ar ommted to Focat' mehodoloy bae n mod-day apitalism t imosible to eparat as Rncre wod like "this om economcs ad olitis. The vion of soity to "lae (or a) i prodd by the emblage o srsiv pratis (knowege) teciqs r gove ng behavor (powr), nd mode o sbjecon (e bjec t dt bon is not ony e ret o e rversal acon o ese ee aaes (knowlege ower bject) he aer ae emeve avesed by mcropower reaons at me te sib on obe nd oeraonal awoman relaons herchren reao e tchersde te shoo doco/aent te h tem d so on whc deeoed by what Ga cecve ce o sbjecon re nersa d consve o e on to ar. It s moibe to derstand toa cam wot rbemazng e reaos beeen e mo e major dc oooaabor coor hose who commd and ose who obey oe who hav th credenls to gove and os who do not etc) and th mirohysicl (power rlaions baed in pss throgh and ar rmd wihin thos with no part)
ca ad Pl I 245
But it is abve all impssible withut appreciating hw pwer invests the relatin t the se care f the se "ethics. The atin f the Ccs wa f unerstanding bos, is tence and "militant subectivatin c prde the weapns r ressg the pwers f ctempa capitsm which maes the pducn f subectvity te prima and mst mprt f i eec G) Fucault tells us tat aha, in mvig m e "plitcal realm t individual ethics became a technique r gveing behavir in ther wrds a techique f pwer "B encraging u t tae care f uselves I am use t the whle cit. Ad if I prtect m life it is precisel in the cits interest27 The techniques f gvernmen f the sel and thers integrated and recgued b the pstr pwer f the Christian church hae becme eer mre imprtan n the welfare state captsm the "great cha f cnces and slicitudes "the cre lfe wich Fucault talks abut in regard t ancient Greece has been taen in hand b the State T tae care f te se wrk n the sel d n ne's wn le mes cncernng neself with he was f ding and sang necess t ccup the place allcated t us witin the scial dvisin f labr. Tang cre f the self is an nuctin t becme a subect rspnsible r the nctin t which pwer has assigned h The cncepts f bos existence ad lfe d nt send us back t vitalism but rather rce s t ask uselves hw t plticize these micrpwer relatnshps trugh subecivatn thrugh a rela tn t the sel that bres wit subectns In Rncires denitin f plitics he seems t neglect what he alses histricall mng nneteenth centu wrkers: the wrk n the self and the rmatin f an ets
246 I Sgs a Maes
e rmaton o th h s h "m xste t Cys prate, s no vry of "mrl dsur t des not represent te teang r ro o n mrl cde e r mao� o etos s at c "c o eec28 nd a "marx o xperene n wch r lkd "rm of a bl knwledg, nrmave ameork o bhavr r ddus (wr) "ad te l modes of exstec r pbl subjc (e rl t e Conversely, polc r Rcr s rmrly xpere e sesle a og do wh n il al pont beause polts bv ll a quo rm a rmsm of qualty at mk acn plcal s o bjt or he plae were t s crrd u but lly rm, t rm n whc onrmaton of equaly crbd n h ng u a dpute, f a cmmunty ng lly rugh bng dvded9 problemaz hs "c p f peene and t rments n poltcl rupur d suetvaton tat resut trugot W lly ldng to the revoluonaes f te nneten and ealy-entet centue and to te atsts of te same peod 9 d eee
Fouaudan sujetvaton s not only agment aout equ d nequaty, a demnstaton o t wrong do qu ut gnunely mmanet reato stuatd n te g b qu d nequalty, reorentng te questo o pltc by g up a drmnate spae and tme r ec dran and te rmat f a oetve se£ plts ndstngusale m te rman of the hcl sujet, ten te queton o rgnzation bcms enrl,
ciao d lcs I 247
thogh in a dierent way thn in th ommnist odl The rongration o he snsibl is pross that mst be th objt o"militant work whih Gatri epding on Foalt's thoght dns as "analytial politial work For Gatari th GIPGrope dinrmation sr les prsons ndd by Foalt30an be onsiderd a olltive ssemblag in whih th objt o "militantis beoms told ilitantism in trms o intrvntion bt lso ilitantis in ters o thos who intrvn Th nw militantis is ontinosly at work not only on ttrans prodd bt espeially on the tehniqes prodrs rms o xprssion o the ornion the sbjt o nniation that prods tternes Convrsl Ranir has "no nterest n he qeston o th rs o organiztion o politial olleves He does not tke nto onsi dration th "altrations proded by cs o poltcl sbjeivation In othr words h viws th at o sbjetivation only in its rae irrption a sbivation whos draon i nrly instantanos He reses to eine "th rms o onsistny o h grops ht prode hem31 wheras May 8 pts ino qstion prisly heir rs o onstton an ntoning teir rm o prssion an demora r it i prisly the poliial at o intervning that is inseparabl o th at o onstittion o th sbjt whos sbjtivation rongs not ony olar visions bt molelar rlations as wl t paraoxial relatons btn eqaity n rne nnot be insrib in a onstittion in laws h an b nithr larne nor taht bt oy prent hen e qstion o the moalits o aing togther bomes namnt at mst b exprimentd an nvnted in a war maine that ariats th bgtogr an th beingagst is what Foat
28 I Sg a Maes
ges s he seccy hlsohl dscorse, what, snce the coapse of the diaectic modl the demos, has become the coitio of conteorary poltcs W mst neer pose "the qest tho wth the same time qrng abot the trth a he m of acces to he trth which wll be able to rm tis tho [abot] the oltcal strcts with whch this tho be able to ssert its sigai ad eece [ ] [N]eer pos[e] the qeston athea wtht a the same te takng agan, with egad to this tuth the uestio ofpoltea and the qestn o tho The same goes oltea, ad tho"32 Fr cie o democac a apparts both dson ad coui ca ecoge the dstrbton he sensble, whereas Fcalt is much moe eseve a less enthsstc abt ths mdel o oltl actio He ecognzes ts lmts Political sbjectat, whle epeet o euali srpasss it e politicl uestio is theee: Hw ca we ivet ad pactice equali ude these ew coditios of subjectivatio? Wth Gattar, we c e he qestio diectl b lookig t or crrent siuato How do we ive ad pactice both eualit ad ethia dereno' (siguaizaio) whle beakig with he machiic esavemes a cal sbject of modeda capitalism that have a dl hld r sbjectty? - Sep temb e 2010
Enncaion an Poiic I 29
Notes
noducon: Logos or sac M? The peet noduco wa w lowig h pubo of my book e Main ote Inbed an, tas. Johua Dad Jodan (Los Ang Semo(e), 2012), i the Fch oigi La bie de loe end (Pais Editios d'Aedam, 201 1). The chaptes that ow wee wen po pubo. 2 Fx Guat Je Ouy, Fe Guat, ad Fans Tosquees, Pra1 onnel oli1e (Vgex, Fce aice dos, 1985), 65 3 Flx Guaa, La oluon oie (Pas Uno gale ddts, 1977) 95 4. Fx Gua, Cse de poduco de subjct, Sea ofAp 3, 198 h//eu-cees./upa_m/es/8003pd£ 5 Kl M S W d Dd M Od Oxd v Ps, 2000), 410 6. Fe Gu, Pra1es nst1onnel oli . c., 53 7. Rac Baous potca to a utte ca o g "pe oucv ce thee authos he o ucvao poces ad aa e, whhe hey ae deg wh G , the sae evol ac Re, he Fech, Rssa, o Ch Revou, o May 68 8. Fe Gua, " Cs de poduc ucv, . c. . The c hes ofRac a au a ua o acula uecv a poca upue w c c avmnts a uc. 0. G z Fe Guaa, nd Ro Huley, Mk , H Miai v M P, 83), 378 . co cha of k mnao po P tos , 009) h u uu a a se c v. . I., 377.
21
Prodcon d the Podcon of Sbjecv Gies Deleuze, Neoao 970 s. Ma Jouh (New York: Columbia Uvesty Prs 1995 10.
The er is oly oe of he ms of plao activaio d eploitato of subectvt i te sece-eatosi taed b bss o he Wee tate Hece te limiaos of heories hat ke "ue e coestoe of polii (see eple te oewise remkabe wok of Mchel de eteau)
Mice out Dline and Pzh Seida (w Yok: Vige 15 0. Foult sees to get epo of ower as a maie o whe he ms to alis of e relao to he se coduc d e ve et of me we he mov om dicpl soe to socie of coto
4 Ibid 05 07 . oded persoooca reatos of e e obemvaet or mteareice are reaced b te eglaio of geeou h eaios esseay ded o sstems of absra qacatio of labor wges 'ss os etc. e ast aasis te soci s o loge a aer of te eo bt of decoded ows Fix attai ines ite (La ou dAges Frce: De !Abe 011 54.
6. Maurice de Mooli es Sstes oeacin (Paris Press ivesi aires de Face 1967 13 7. Ibid 54 "he subeco invove e oveal peo si ipaabe sbjece epeetos acic esavemet jois stems of ereo d ig in whh vidated sbjec become recoe to d ieated om oe aoter F Gua oluon oire (Pais Unio grae dios 190 93
9. G Deze ad Fx a A ousand Pteaus as Br Msui Miois: Uivei ofMioa Prs 197 45657.
10 Mmford e th the achine chnics and Huan evet (w or: arcor Brace ad orld 1967 196 11 Ibid 195 19 1 Ibid 196 197 1 Ibid 199 14 Ibid 01 15 i Deeze ad Flix Gati A hoand Pteau o cit. 45 rasa io oed
16. Obvos e e have e bee mode Brno tor) s o moe a tcprase si e ode ividated subjec d e absote
252 I Sgn Mns
iispensable to the nctionng of power. The diameicaly opposite posion is that ofJohn Hooway, r whom lberang ma &om pitlst ploitaon mns o recover the subject negated by objecv" polil progm is Knan more than revolution since he rgu r the asserion of orselves our own rue sn," restoring ouselv to the center of he universe," r we humans crte he world in which we live" Subject nd object re pt of the sme padigm of mode and exploitation. John Holoway, ck pitlm (New York Pluto Press, 21) 235 242, 145 17 Fr Baou and Rncire, the poducon ofsubjecivi pos no icl at snce, whether we are g about Greek socie 1948, he Ne Del, or toa subjecivi is alwas the same Thus the complete lack of alsis of he procs of subjecivaon pitsm ents, the rmlism of the deitions of power a ons, ad the re of a poli emped of polii 8 Our oppositon between despot signiing semiologies and asigniing semiologies remains vey schemac r, there ae only mixed seioti, hich parake ofboth to g dre. Sing semiolo is lways haunted by a sig machie ad conveel a si mahine is lwas on the verge of being reclaimed by siig seiolo Sl, it s clearly usel to recogize the relations of polari he to dee Fx Guatri, o/io moir (Fntenay-sous ois, Frace: herhs 19 46 19 Theoies that me lauae pra" the key o how seioti operate n our societes risk ss ho apitaism aculy works Capital nctions &om a mul iplicity of seioti ad not oy sining nd lnguisic semioti, s he theories of oiie" or capitalism m 20. F uari As d'ir 1981985 {ars L Prairies Ornit, 2009 294 21 When one no longer able to meure labor in me, as is the ase n most ars oday, automatic" and objective" evaluaors e replaced by the subjecve and continuous (in schools r studens and teachers, in hospitls nd publ helth sstems r services d workes," etc). Note, r mple, the co that erupted France at univeities nd hospitals when new methos of evluaon were ntro duced, methos part and pcel of neoliberl techniqu of government. Fich Nieche, wight th I i h A- c Homo, t th I Judith No (Cmbi Cambi Unei Pr, 25) 19
23 Glles Deleuze and Fx Guatti, A hous P op cit., 492 24. t regrd to sociolos hopomophism, see Eile Durkheim, r whom the vl rces ofsocie" recal M's le labor," where g mong which, apart &om material objec," must be included the produc of prevous social acvihe law ad the customs that have been bshed, ad litey nd c monumens" play the role of xed pil" Objec nd poduc re the maer
N I 23
o which h vil e r pli but tey do no helves rl y val rc. Thu h sey h vonment ei e aiv co h ofoiocl hod r. W D Hs (ew Yor: Te Fr r 1982) 6 h wor of is riv Gbril Tde be u h odiio a o hroocri soiology. 25 h idustial poucio of le opoatio l Fiat th hn lbo e acconts only 7.5% of gr osts uattari oi out h h act of ompletely autoi bui woul et sociy o te whol rahe ha woes lone 26 e ea otol of chiic i om the enslvnt of organ to the podutve assemblg co b eetively ur be o a genrl equvalent We i of ee a t of alientio rio of eaton n a tory or rio w cnnot meue h consequec o vidual We quanti h r lbo of a pysici in a laboro ot e podutive value e r. F Gui olo mo (ri: Union nale d'ditions 1977) 74 2 I wou aue th h iri rltonship ben apital ow labo ows eneat a sulus vu hat t woud be au to al u sne te l is poued hrough h lbo; the ieial elationsp beteen in ows a rvu ow i rodutve of splus value tat soud ccaly be l cil rl vlue; and y te td eaonsip b mae ow iovio (o nowlede) ows enet a popely chiic urlu vlu. Gill Dluze Seminar of Febuay 2 12 ttp//eteenet/ deeuze/anoe OOOatx/--m. any e nnovato nowlede as suh nr proucs lue Te ret ow w inludes inovaton d tou whch iovon tuns a prot is of a ompletely deent ind an of a omplely ir nonommensurte pow [ ]: it is not the sme m of oney ta ay r iovaton and rtemo etemnes te otabl of nnovation" bi. Th crio of mahni suplus vaue does not detly depend on siene a chiqu bu rh on pital it is e to han sul value d wth it o cr rot Knowled ifomatio d spezed euton ae j uch of il (nowle cital') as is the most elementay labo of h wor. Gi Deleze Fi Gutai Ods tans Robet Huly M Hele R L (Mieapolis Univesity of Mnesota e 98) 24 Th cpitalst chie opr on o onts exeisin a ston lciv rr o aic io vio and intodun not only la am ovrbuc bu suiy i te i of knowlede d siene" Ibid 236. 28. Whrs the theoy of vlue in te st boo of Mr pil is a itve hoy (h ritet sum of ndvidual lbor) whr urlus vlu i st cocivd um suplus vlue" in e d R ofth Immd o ofodco Ma desbes mahiic lvt withou howvr dvloig hoy of ani" value Gui oi ou hat th Mxi
24 Sgn and Maches
conceptio of hu surplus vlue correspos to th accouning practces of pitl but certly not to its ctul coi Budg acconing is oe brouht up again toy i orer to just the couter-rrm aimed at pesio nds beca heir ci is lculate bse o individua mploymet wages; Only ubjcto is te ito ccout whle nlavment do ot eter io it. A "comc wile Deleuze would sy It shod alo addd tht Mx wa the rt o mae the collectve o hus d ohman (he ctoy) the nmnt no only o poucto but lso o poli 9 Gl l an e Gutti Thond Pte op cit, 58 30 Ibid 3 Gi lee and e Gutti Thod Pte op ci, 92 469. 32 "Coumr' paricipto i proucto i xrmly hrogeous [ . ] W hve hown ta ach of these cvites b quaid a work the ecooc, socioogica d rgonol seses of the rm Thy produc vlue r the bui es [ ] A wih h lie eployee th conumr acivi is hhly prescried d rglatd i on perre uder conrain of e procv and oucom ig pcic tools MieAn jarir, Le il du oommr (Pari: Ediio la couvee 2008) 2031 33 Fix uai olon moire (is Union gnra ddiio 1977), 80 " wod b copletely bitry today o conidr coora mpoy wihout conidring h ulple sm of drred wg, pc aia, and ocia cot acting however yo ook a i he rprodcion of h aor rc systes whch bypss the monta crci of in and are ta on y tple isttutos nd mchaim of powr id, 81 4 "he noion ofa piai enrpri and a paid job hav becom inspaae om nir of ocia bric wich i iprodcd an reprodcd ndr he ono of pi id 90 5. That dir qa poiiiy impi a nw and roionay denio of dir Dsir ony mrg when owing rpr of prio eqiirim raion appear a had oeie been impoie ir is way idenae hogh he impoiii it opn and w posii it crates i e c at a procs ai wich ecrt ohr em of rerenc om a wod at onc coed To cry rgir he rpe h cica cocepo of ir, Gaari mphiz i cia "nar cia dtrrtoriaizd d machinic dir man at it i no a "natra or "ponno rc ire i not qivan of what Frud "driv or of what Spino nas (i "ir • nr an ndirnatd sn ner bt ie r om a iy delopd ninered p rich i inraio ie Deze and Fi Ga tari Thousd Pte, op ci 15 "re a no inta driv in dir, ony mbag id 9 ir i no a mar o n dm or rprenaon b rater of prodon To dir awa mans to cons n asmag o
Noe 255
dese ways mes act in and r a coecive or mupici. Desie is not a mat- ter of ndividus and does not resut om he smple interacon of individu dives or conaus (intersubjecivi) It do not come om wihin he subject it always emanates om the outside om an encounter a coupling, n ssemblae The clssica conception of dire is absract because it idenies a desng subject nd n oject supposed to be desied whereas one nver desires soeone or something u lwys a person or a hn within a whole consituted of ultplciy of objects reltons, mchines people sins etc It is the assemblae nd not te indviduted subject tt maes someone or somethin desirable One never desires only a person or thn but also the wolds d possibiliti one senses in the To desie ens to construct an asemblae at unolds the possilites nd worlds ht a tng or person contans "We ways make love wih worlds Gilles Deleuze nd Flx Gutri, n-Ods op ci 24 Desie is rst of ll collecve thouh col lectve not with he same intersubjectivity A colecive ssemlge is indeed "a sis of relons and [ ] a means of assinin aen a plce nd ncion; but these agens re no persons any moreh these relaons are nersujectve Iid 7 Persons and thns "inteene ony as points of connecon, of dsjnction, of conjncon of Hows d elemens of this multiplciy. Ibid, 39 2 Sg emiolos d s Smos Producion an h
ocon of ubec
1 "We (teachers, shrs, social workers, jounaiss etc) re worers n an ua
mode indutry, ndtry at provides he subjecive rw teal necsay r al oher industries nd socil activiy. Flx uatai in Jen u ix Guati nd rnois Tosquel aqs inionn poq Vigneux ance Mtice dtons, 185) 51 2. Flx Guri, s Anns dir: 19898 (Pris: L Praiies ordinai 2009), 28. 3. Flx Gutri, chizoayse du chaos Chimrs 0 (sumer 203) 23 . Giorgio gmen h Saamn ofaa trs Adm Kotsko (tanford tnford Unversity Prs 201 1) 68 5 Pascal Mchon, yhms povoi mondiaaion (Pris: Preses Unversitre de rance 200), 289
6 "It is a queson of rediscoverin in the laws tht gove tat other scene (in anr Schap) whch reu on the subject of dres, designates eg tht of the unconscios, the eecs that e discovered t the level of e of mte
ially unstable elemens tat consutes luage: eec deterined by the double play of combinaon nd substitution in e siger acques L, E rns lan heidan (London: Routlede 18) 218 Jacques cire and Davide Panaia "Disseng Words: A Conversaton wih Jacques Rancire Diaics 30:2 (200} 117
26 I Sgs a a
8 Flx Gai, h Machn Uncc ns Tayo Ains (Los Agel: Seiot(e 201 1) 7 . Pie Paolo Pasolini, Hca Empcm, tas Ben Laton ad Lose K Banet Boomingon Inana: Iaa Unvesi Pes 88) 6. 0 Ibid, 8 . Ibid, 5. 2. Ibid 4 48 . H Aendt, h Hun Cndn Chigo The Uiesi o Chigo Pess, 8) 2 4. Ibid 4 5. Ibid. 7 6. Fli Gat Schanac Caaph, Anw G (New Yok: Boomsb 20) 2 7. Flix Ga, h Machnc Unc op , 4 Tsaon moded 8. The ingsc n posophy and he socia sciences, whch concente on hm lgge {d, t Witgenstein e stdy of odny langage wh eay changes nothn competey negecs the speccay capiist ce of gniing seo those essed thogh the ngg of es" (conom, sic eqe atheti etc). The elaonsp between lagage nd r o beeen e ad enncaion go competey noticed . lix Guri M!r Rvun as Rosemay heed ew ok: Peng 98) 665. 20 El Bvi The emoo o agge," Sm (98) 0 2. Fli Guri a vn mar FoyouBoi Frc Reche 977) 30. 22. Ibid, 78 2 Flx Guri n mr Pri: Uio grle d'tions 77) 04 2 Pie Paoo Polii Hca Empii op c 38 25. Flx Gati Th Machn Unconcious, op. ci. 65 26 Ibd. 6. Ga ot Ry gge orli" angag vol. 8 o. 2 (Decembe 97) 58. 27 G Deeze, Fli Gaai, A Thnd P r Brian Mui ( ols Uiesi o noa P 987) 76.
os I 2
28. The subjectvity prodced y concioness nnot be ssigned prely and simpl to the order of repreentaton" F Gattar Mcur Rvlu, op. ct 126 It ifes mans specc pac r deterrtoriaton tat enales m to prouce signs r no ppose: not negave sign t sign play aot wit r n, r art bid. 17 Te atonomy and ariess of te play of sign catios he contradictory coneqence: t open] posile r crvi bt [. so prodce a sject ct o o drect aess to re a sject iisoe in a signng eo bid 92 Fe attar h AOd Pa, Seiotext(e) 2006 258.
Goman Los Angele
30 Fe uati M Rvlu, op cit 169-170 Translaon moed. 3 Fe uai h Machc Uc, op cit. 27 3 Ibi, 33 Fe uaari Mcu Rvlu, op cit. 93 Gattari qote Benveniste's bm qu ga II CPr: Gallm 1974 68. 34 ersoological adjecve qg morl relaons witn the jective orer he es on the role of peron iden ad ideno caracter the theoretic concept of psycoanalysis Te latter's Oedip brin persons ied persos nto pla it redc ntensi proects te moleclar level of iese oto a peonolol tter' Fe Ga L A d'vr 98985 o cit. 295. 35. Fe Gatti, hm trs Pal Ban nd Ja Pefans Bloomngton ndiaa ndiana Uiversi ress 95 9899 . Fe Gati d Suel Rolnk Mcrlqu Paris L Empcers de eser en rond 00), 40 3 Fe Gattai, h Mhn Uc op cit 66 38 ier Paolo Psolii, Hl Emcm, op cit 58 Trnslaon moed 3 His engageet wih Deleze's toght begns ith he concept of the che, wich uttri elborated in the 60s. Most phiosophers wo lke dio, to recoize uti's orginal conitio his Delee's work toeher miss te huel iornt poltical si n the cocet of te machne 40. Fe Gattari, ce SheetProgm r Deiri Mchines ans. Robert Hurle, An-Od m vol 2 no. 3 (9) 8 4 Fe Gatai Oiier Z Entreen avec Olvier Z Chmr 2 (Suer 994) SO 4 Fe uatri, hm o cit 9 40 It is si that macn do ot repro uce heselv or tht he on reproce theseles throgh the nterei of
25
Sgn a Machnes
man bt ' nyn sy ht h cover h n pcve ystm be te bmbl b (n h bmbl bee oy mt i bt it be it p ce? n. Th bmbl b is part of the repciv stm o h clv jt s man is p h pctive system of th mchin. Gill Dlz n Flix Guattai nOd ns Robert Huey Mk m n Hln n (Min neapos Univsiy Minnesota Press 198 848 4. "We misl by onsirng an compicatd mahn a sn hn in h it is a city sci ch member of wch w b ly r is kin. W s machine a whl we it by a name and iniviliz it; w lk t wn lmbs and knw ht the combinaon rms n inivil which spings m sinle center produtive ation Ibid 85 4 Ibi 86.
4. "Lbor not an remost conceed wih bjc it t h nmi at anmate obje Lbor is a reation of rc: h cn c mnt orient er rces It is not rey conceed with posssin bt wih bcming [ ] I work there is not on one side the subjct and on h h h bjc. T work ones senses mst aapt t the pay of rcs imang h bjct. [. . . n work a preeexve relatonshp wth objects is manifest which 'pc cnscisness d 'dermnes a car sepation between subje an bjc. hilippe Davi Enre psyique et socia qele pace pour lacivi a san mna n as (Toouse: ERES 005 3 46. Fix Guattari Chaosmos p. cit 6. 4 Fli Gi Mo!r oon p. cit. 8 48 bi. 1 49 Mony bviousy h oth tions tat bome r throuh e nteactn w oter semoc systems at the "symboc ve mony ntios s n maginay subjecon of the ndividu His purcn power mipuat no oy accordg t cod of soci saus but so acrn to perceptua and s codes. Th monay economy "interats nstay wt te si ncon o guage especiay trou leg and reuatory stms. Fx Guari oon mo!ir (ontenaysousBois France Rcee 1977 9 0. hat one s prcsig power a nonpowr Oy th acos of h omnat trsrm the impotenzed ss n sis ofpowr by makin them on in a procs ofsubjecvaon ependet of te enomic aw of pucin power. the sevaoon pcof te domnated prent notng oer t t!e ndependent sposion of ther ow produon a producon 1 Flix Guattari Schaa Caoaphis rs G (ew York Boomsbuy 01 168 Fx Guattari Mo!r oon p i 76. Trasan mod.
N 29
53 O oe papr surce w cmbie very irt sourc tat e bdd thgh t itmary f a omgus grapca aguage," i., te dagram Bruo Latu, Paa H: sas th Ral c Cbridg, Ms: H Uvesi Press, 1999 66 Latu vry y ccud at w have vr b mde" Suc is tru y i terms f maciic savmt r sca subjct, we av ded b mde a v ypr-md Capitast deteitaizati cuay rterritr if ma" ad e dvduaism" f t subjc, t dividu, hm cmus tc, wic, temay lg, s back t ectivsm" f atiaism, racism, scsm, Nazsm, macsm, cass pota, tc. By gctig t cecti bete savmet ad subjci, Latur taks majr pitica rss, r e is ipab f accoug r th dramatic dpt twd wic capitasm stematicy tds T say tat w av vr bee md" s t metry ppsite rrr f tse w s y subjctio cire, Badiu) 54 T papc is t diagram f a mechaism of pwer reduced t i id rm [ ]: it is c a gure f pc tcho tat may d must b dtacd m ay spcic us" Mce Fuut, Dc ad Puh trs. Srda Yrk: Vag Bos, 1995 202 205 55 I, 202 56 Whe you wt a c x = c f ' it s sc, but te si hat orer to p a sri fprcs that re f r fr me ad oveet hat to accut r t" Fe Guat hm 2 Summr 1994 5. Fe Guaar, chaac aahs, p. ct, 22. Trsa md 58. Rad bradcasg oes ot rish th oretati mit, a strucur f te spac" f ucato ut oy he ratis amg sud itsitis Th rad uss sud ages ess as sesoy quait ratg t bjc ta s a uimted sris f moes pssive ad activ rcs f act" Sud carris metary rcs (iteses, ptch teas, rthm, d temp) at hav a mr diect impact peope h he meag f wrdstat is udao of radipic at Serge Caa La ra, mduatur !'audb," hms 53 2004 5152 Cia ctes Ruo Arhm, d A fud Sa Massacuts Ayer Copay Pushers, 1986 2829 Spc ag with t si ad cmputers re aways eg achd" 59. Grk po oators wo evr a spc mat t at a vry bf pro f tm, i a space ever excee hat wic uma voic cud be e," br a te er of peope momty rmv om tr prg uc a speech wtte by he oatr sam spit T wspaper s mat r a much ager ahough ispersd, auic, ma up fidividuas wh, w tey rea he ace remai sujc t kds f dstract, eaig th buzz of coversaos aro he ag r i a i cy to tos f he auor Reaers ke rao strs, r see t wtr/spaer r s gsues oy ovemes or c xprsis, ad, uk t ra, hey d
260 I gn an Man
not h h voice or ntonaon. Wi h speh alone the oator aec h auience On e oer had, seeral artcl ae needed to rch he se result, sce "arti cle i but one lnk i a chain of rticl, coming in general om mulple wrtes who mke up e nesom The nspaper not prs a se of coherent deas, wt a hamonious dsplay of guments, wth the otor's rhetorc e nepaper topc is made up of innumerable top hat e gven evey mornng t the events of te day or of he day bere It is in the mddle of one of Demoshen hrgu ainst Philp, messengers approached a eey nstnt o gve the very latest news, and s the stoy d the interpreation of all s nfomaton were o rm e conen of hs speech Gabrie Tarde Ls aaio d pouoir (Pris L Empcheus de penser en rond 00) 558
xed Semo 1 The accdent tat t Wall Street May 010 (he sudden 10% drop n share prc wc just a fe seonds made lons of do go up n smoke-n 14 seconds stocs chged hs 7000 mes} orgnated n omputer nd daa com muions machin The srmaon of opetors om rotago o ato w due to he teologcal and su reoluon of te Amer stock market The nvenon o eer more powe computers chged te way whic vestors nterac wi e make Toda; more 90% of orde made on e New York Stock chge are automated The largt prt of cons on Wall Sreet e made automally wtot huma iteenon, r the speed wth whch people n clcuate a ac mu too slow relave to e of forma on d speed wt wch t circulat Sice stock mrket cons have been cll b ompute, specuato ulmate wpon speed pid big llig so, bse on r more mp goris on eer more wl c are now crl tools A cutat race i king place mog ers [ ] e ld me {te day beteen the ssue of a order ad i eeuion) i round a econd, and e p subsequenly made ount to bilons of doll eey yr Supermptes sn dozens of chng in order to detect market ends, then plac orde a te spe ofigh, lvg the much slower tadonl nvtor n the dus n also detect e celg price a buyer se (te prce above whch he wont buy a stock A soon rched, e compue buy up ll the avilable stocks bere the rife buyer h te e to ac sellng them a a hghe pc, nd genery at the hght pce possbleat s, at one cent below the ceilg [ ] I response to e demnd r mimum speed, small stems r automated cons have emerged Th opeate h the hep of a fe dozen employees set up n nensve o om Wall Seet Cern of te have become rmdable compeon r te traditiona sock mket I July 009 the N/York So n accounted r oy 8% of marke sacons n e Unied Stes nd the SDAQ ust 1 % Two compni a most people dont kow about, he BATS change n Kansas Ciy, Missour, and Direct Edge n Jersey C e Je re compeng become te hd lgt mern chage, aounng r 10% to 1% of te mket dependng how one mur Yves Eud, L Gee a conue de Wal See' o September 009
Nes / 261
2. Felx Gui, "Roos nd Eistntil Ac trns Jna Schisari nd Gorgs Vn Dn Abbl, h aa Ra d G Gnosko (Cbrdg: Blacll Pubishrs 1996 158 . r mpl, til ofJerm Krvil, th Sociee Genel tradr, who
ws judgd th "sol guil pry in th loss of v billon dollrs
4 Convrsl in C h Sublt Spk? Gayai Chkravor Spivk advot
r a rrn o t to ofidolo. h say is surprsng in mny rpc, r it mn n icribl nmbr of mindrsandin nd misintraons of l/Gari's n Fouclts work A clm h owng, chosn at random on so mn on mbrssd r h prson who wrot i "In h Fou c-l convation, t iss sms to b hat hr s no rprnion no siir it to b r at t signir h lrdy bn dispatchd? Thr is, tn, no signsuctu oratg prnc and th t on lay smioi ·o rt?) Coia Dco ad otCoia ho d atck Wiis nd Laura Chrism (Nw York Columbia Univrsi Prs, 4, 74. Acring o h Frnch pubshr, th ssay rprns "a vritabl pubisin vnt rmins a mystry at on giv ris to a bat round sch a opodg of"supii 5. Dnil N St, h oa oth It non c Books 198 6. Ibid p. 7. 7 Ibid. 54. 8. Ibid 6768. sns o rnt s is lso wat t iosophrs of dirnc (Brg
son Wi m, ) hav xin snc t la nntnth cn. "Pur xprnc is h nam Js ivs to h immdiat H of whch nsh th matl of o latr rction with i concpul tgor nd i vsion into subjc d objct, s n ohr, spaompol gurs tc Jams rhr rmarks hat it is "nw born babs or mn in smicoma om slp drugs ill nsss hat xprinc or or h xprinc of his mrgnt slf nd i orgnizing procss. A Plrisc nvrs ia am: W 1902-1910 (Nw York: Libray ofAmri, 1987 782. Dnil N S op. ci, 27
11. Ibid, 72 12 Ibid. 128, 124 1. Ibid. 1. 14. Felx Guattri, Chaoo rns Pul Bins nd Jn Pnis (Bloongon Indina: Indina nivrsi Prs 1995 67 15. Dnil N S, op cit, 176-177
262 I Sg d Mane
. Jud Buer, n u New York Rouedge 999) 03 e nde ce nd ndeed acebate a maj cl n Flt' thght to mntan that pe appaa e pdcve tat th e cntten of bjecv gen de etc m that th come t that th ae gn h pde ith a n conptn f pe "pcn» in ppiion t the jl nde nng of the tem th n l mpn the they n the eb f pe a Folt hme ec Deleze an Gta e way ut of te pe Of ce an emblge of e cle pe ngemen [ . ] b e mt be lote amng the eent cmpnen of he emblge In hr powe ppate not eme or onute anyg bt rher embg f e nte powe rmon odg to ne f the menon. e Deleze wo m fn rn. Am Hog and Me Tormn Lo Angel Seotte), 200), 25. Tron moe 17 F Gatta, cu un in i, Kre Cphow ad Bn Ho ( ngel Seot=e), 2007), 36 8. Fl Gata Chaosophy d Seet, Jarred Beke d Tal Adk Lo Ange Seotxte) 2009), 23 9 Ib 22 20. F Gaa encemen Ttnc Pet, Semn of Decebe 8, 981. tp//ee-hmere/dupl_cer//81 1208p£ 2. l Guata Chaosmos p ct 2326 Tron moded 22 Per Poo Pon Hc Empicm, en an and Le K B nett mnn a ana Une Pe 1988 1 69 23 Ib., 12 2 Fl Gat Chaoos, p ct 26 25 F Gat Chaosmo, op ct 27 26 bid. 26 267 27 Pe Paol Pl p ct 12 28 Fx Gata As d'i 198198 (P L Pae ne 2009 129. 29 ee Dje d a Ps U e Fnce 200 30 Ibd. 28. 31 Ib, 50 108 32 Ibd. 1 12. 33. Ib, 115
Notes / 3
3. Asseian intepellto costv of the subjct wo is addressd by owr (H yo tere!") wold b toly ical tot work of i g socs. 3 bid. 2. 3 bid. 3. bid 0. 38. Ibid 1. 39 r o longe is a sigle ocil voic but multudes ofnctional m surms deployed th ske of te hieracy, ch independent of te ot" Ibid, 212 0 Ibid, 1. 41 e Grek trm hypommt might b aslatd simply as rmder" W oe the tems discovery d us Foucault Huoma in te tchnil sense, could be accout books public registers or ididual notebooks seng as memory . Micel Fouult, Self Wiig" Ethi Subjvi ad th tans Robet Hul N Yok h New Prss 99 209 Hypomnmata are, inso as ac of se-ing a modali of t constiutio of the sel£ 42 Mienne Dujie, op cit, 1 43 Ibid., 29 Soo processs temselvs wl b maor ctor i vting ork t y v b that, mor than wok t vuation of procsss ill become rioriy." bid 14. 4 bid 4 A Mr rrs i quot ejami includ in is icios criique of socil democas tto of work the m wo posss no or roe th his labor por' mst of cssi become the slave of other me wo v made them selv te owrs.' Wtr Bamin h on te Plosoy of History," Iumiatio, trs Hrry o New Yok Hcout ac 98, 259 . Cistoph Deors crque du rav ee ulnrbiit t domiation" in aai t sat oulouse rs, 2010. 48 A the me psident Nicolas Sakozy pt it in a speech in 200 poposig the llowing choice to th majoity pty social poli ok, educa tion pol, wok, conomic pol, wok scal poli, ok, busiess policy, ok, immigation policy, ok, moetary poli, ok, budgetay policy, work" I sking you to make ork you poli." 9 Ibid. 172
64 Sgn and Mches
50 Pie Paoo Paoni, H Empim op. it, 265. 51. ie a Pasoin, Luthra Ltt trs Suar Hod Yor Crnt P 987) 26 I h p hat hose outs of te i ad to e in tir odd g as e h po le d e ife a oes on he is poo But te poo re ers And a eren om you middcls ppl I h same plae day, "os usi say to yu their dd lngg 'Tee i n more popl spir h. Th pesants and te orers lh een aiay thy are stl . Ibid. 3536 52. Ibid, 31 53. Ibid 37 54. Fix Guaai "Rornll and sent es, op. i 16. 55. Flix Guaai, "Rounll ae isene Disusion) Smn Septeb 5, 1987 p://.mer/drupa_meres//8791b.pd£ 56. ie Paol on Luthn t, op it, 39 57. Fx Guaai La oon mouir Ps: Union ne diions, 977 95 58. Fix Guaari, La oo mo1air FonaysousBis, Fnc Rechrhs 1977), 27 59. r Pal sn E o, trans. Pipp Gn s Farion, 1976) 256. 60. id, 86 6 id, 82 62. bid, 79 63 Pier Paoo Paoin, Ha Empim, op it, x Per Paoo Pasoin, E oair, op t, 9
65. id., 269 66 Pier Paoo Paoni, Er a a Dt : Edins Gutene, 2007, 82 67. P al n oir, p ci. 147. 68. id.14. 69. Sgi isnstein emarae t n h animism in Wl Diny aoons. S Etin on Dn ed Jay yda (ondn eun 1988) 7. On hold eal ha . P Tompso Th n h Enh rking C e m uu play a cnt roe, soin Mass too sy re
Ne / 265
. Pir Paolo aoln H cir op. cit 1 . In h y nh cnury it ws 6 to 65% pant i 2 �nly .8%. . ir Paoo asoln nrn c n Dt op cit. 15 4 Ibid. 36 5. ir Paoo soln Hrc mpicm, op. cit 28. 6. Ibid 27 . Ibid 133
4. Coct d Si Systms 1 A "itmint du spacl is a wok in h ars-tists o tchicis n cima tlvision hatr tc.mployd on an irgula is Th tm dsig at a Fnch lga stas: abov a hshold of hours workd in th doms a giv y th intrmint rciv lic bns whn h o sh is not mpoyd sighly supror to hos of ic umpomnt suc Th Fch wod "itmint is raind hoghot to idit spcc of Fch wok Tsar's not. 2 Th Coodinaion ds ttnts t ecais (ssociation oftmnt d caio Workrs md in 2 i od otct intmtt woks ight to mploymt sc which th gonts aoa on mloymt EDIC had pt d tht Th Coodiaton rs out acons in dfns of th wo gh d t wo (th) o S hp//cipid£og Tsatos ot Mchl d Ctau Cr n th Pura Tom Co {ipos Ui vrsy ofMinsota Prss 7) 1 1 1
4 Mich Folt To Popn: Lc at th Cog rac 19771978 s. Graham Burch Nw York: Picdo 2) 5 Sg in th 8s csumpon mas cmmon and ma ct h b pt of n intgrating and cooping procss of "singulariy such hat h om is now h lowng How on ntgrat sngulariis drnc mio i th sanda and lling tm of capiast vuaon nd acc mlaon? Copoat ldrs ar ing crt cnion r at lst som siguo to b poibl in h vcor of produon. T m hat th sd suc an ampt bng mad to crt scin marns alow th os long s h tm capabl of copg hm rmans absolt Fe G mr n in ri K Clapshow and Brn Hom s Agl Smiot . W cotd wih a mlplc of choic options d ossibs at account spc su n ordr to cicumscri bock d corporat problmas. T why Guai prs to sk of "ocs of singuao rahr h "sngular: h whol polm com
266 g and ache
dow to e ooon d inteon of sinuty whose to bo d neu osngulaon." Fx Gti, : Gie, 199) 18 6 Pobeizion [ ] is the otal of isusive d non-dssive prais
tat inodues sothg into h play o tue nd se nd consituts it s ojec o out Michl Fouult h Cone Tut," ans. n Shrid Pl Phlphy Ctre (New York: Routede, 1988), 57. Mhe Focalt What s nlghtmnt?" ns. Pu binow, The F1l Rea (New York: Pthon Boos 1984) 49. 8 Gll D w m fMne ns. Ho nd e aormn (Los Agel: Smiotxt(), 2006 14 9 Iid 1 10 Pie Mchel Mene, L neen d g d' on (Pis: diions de l'EHSS, 200) 11 Pirr Mch Menge, Pn ar non d mn ran (Pis: xuel 00), 45. 1 Iid 9 1 In 005 a study by e Ministry of Cutue showed hat h of h artiss liatd wh he Mison d sts soition esposil r magg h social scri reie o rtiss th isal and aphc " decld mng ls t 890 uros nnuly. look a one o ca r po (montry ove nditd y NS Non Instt o Sas d Economc Std) see tt haf of ths artiss dee inome eo th porty ie d aong the tiss atd wit the Mison d st h se srcre more acute , hat we ha obseed te ob markt of trittens. l th a idesed charactrsi mon poessionls, coe apars e conn trated h of th tiss she ie oe h 10% of lloted rn; convese 10% of atists enoin te hghest icom she od 45% of lloted en Looing at e sme stud i hich h Misty of Clre amines t chages n inoe o eos" atd ih AGESS (he ssoca on esonsie r mngin te soi seuri gm o ats) th te yrs 1993, 2000 d 005, we see sit ine ry tgory e nu r o s hose inoes e beow te tshold r rship." 30% o phohrs 8% o soe desines, nd 30% of plawrigh do not eet e theshod r mbes. Drteent des tuds d la Prospctie et des Sta stiques (DEPS), Peintes, ghist, sulteurs J arist auters f la aison d tstes en 2005," C Ch av! p raval (200- w2.uregouv./des. We shoud aso note that h Maison d Aist dos not oy brg toehe ris in e ne but aso a ho sris of new profs sions, which attess, n is wy, to te hnes in h g of th st d crato pantes, gaphi desines, sutos iustts ctoons txl dsiges ngves craiss, stinedss tiss, deotiv ptrs itior dinrs tc
N I 267
14. Menger, ho bots of stdying the eld r yrs, nonetheless temally and bithely cos work d emploment. Toughout his nss and recommendations he lmits hmself exclsively to ·employment hout ever taking ork o account. 15. CERC L scrit de l'emploi ce ax ds des tnsrmaons conomiques o security ad the challenges of economic change) (P: L Documentation n�aise, 2005) http://ladocumentationncaise./var/storage/rapports publi/05000141/0000.pd 16 bid, 38 7 EDC, the State national nion r employment. 18 Mice de Ce The ace Ev , ns. Steen endell (Berl: University of Coria Prs 1984), 185186. 19. bid, 86 20 Te so se consse r emselv e uny poer of reestasi meang they feres ser is dde and hat it is precisely their mssio ver choog wo re on e o n to silence no one acmpih that obeve wod ree mi o policemen, judg, nd so wore mke do w e or o speech, atbung it to iaona a mst be ped no i v o m a deion about ose b o ap em." Miel Clo iee sc, and Yn Be, A n mn nn ai o technique (P: Seil, 2001), 158. 21 Giles Deeze ive Proposiions o osis ans. lexder ickox Dese Isn and Oh T (Los Ae emoe 2004), 275276. Trnslaton moed 22. Giles Deeze nd Flx Gaari Ka wad a Mi iteaue (Min neapois Uiversi ofMinnesoa rs 986 83. Translaon moed. 2 Accord o Deleue he appatuses of speech producon are a snge iveo ta acalies he coto n a erent ay every tme (psychoanalss, commcio mketin, nsutng and spng subjec, s n one e doed sbect ere the cae he stemen ofhich, n i other , it ielf a pt. Gll Deleze l Guatr, A Thad Pa, . Brian (Minnpos: Universi of Minno Prs, 1987), 130. e o subjec rrespond to and presppose one noher. The ct, or the doubing of the subject, represen the invention of a mode of sigcation and subjecvaon that no need r a trscendent poer order to ction. One is suborated not because one obeys ouside author but becase one ob onel£ The poer of subec on ofsubordinaion, is hus n mmnent poer comig om the subject himsel 24 Relity shows se the sme tecniques but on another sle (n the ms audi tions that tke place throughout the count nd in on of a public ho llows
8 Sgns and Machnes
h mking of"sts s i happens) I rel s a rmang of eue, ci expres sons th voic th wy of s arred ou b nructos (dane, sngn e who mst mol th nvdua's expreson o he model of the sr podued b h cul ty.
25 Gls Dlz Dese I d Oh T rns chel Taormn (Los Angls: Smotxt 200 274. 26 F Gtti Sho ogh ras Anrw Ge (Nw Yo Bloomsuy 2013 3
27 Mich Crt C h op , 137 28 ut ths yni far om uaerl The publ ge h no ong ciculting t maes or auh he traps; it is shere th bakgound ssming th poson of an aued, ereed o o eever [ . . ] r puos of otinin an ofwhat he reevers of srd mesa ma b wht thy thn, or what h desre poll ben to mltiply Mket reerch of ths kin only eld aners b reponden who ply th the que ons; om th pos tred o men of he hearon in whh s plag ol; th pols no loner ae the people who sp wy n sppr unnown lms bhin e reao' of publ' ha s now gin ced upon wlk onto th stg of naonal ome del'ae Ib 136137
29 The ompici n t socia sene ad meda ao ous s iet les medae lvl thn wht w have desrbed wh re to intmint workers The socl snc hv nvened a whol ss of tchi wch t md hv pppaed d congre h hve pemnted wth mos of posg th t qsons owg thm ot th ght ers opion polls tog phing of sonnis o in thnogphic sus of nv poplons Wt i w-nsping in h so scic s tht h r sunty vrs d v l to oh stop popl om spkng n mk hm spek Mh Clon Pie scms n Ynnick th, A m iceai. ai u aie techique op cit 18
30 Mihl Fuut he Bih Bilics tns Ghm hll (N Yok Plgv Mcn 2008), 67. 31 I, 6 32 Gl Dze "Fiv Poposion on Pho op cit 276. Sc of ovs 1 Th wo scum slt h Fnch acail, whch m Fnch Psint Nol Sko wh s nto ed to c o o povesh Psn sububs u th o t rpt the n swh n Fn n 200 owng the th of o s tnges Rcoe iv th st w overe y Frenh mi n of uch ontrov nsltos note
otes 269
2. Paolo Vio Q1a i vrbo si ca lo a maa (Torino: Bollati Bornghieri 2) 3. Chstan Mz, aa ad a trns Gregory Conti (Los Angele: Seotext(e) 28. 4. Michael Hardt nd Anono N, Mli York: The Penguin Press 24). 5. See J. L A How o Do Thi wh r (Oxford: Oxford University Press 1976). 6. Fran
8 Michel Foucault Th Gom ofS ad h, ( York: Pagrave Macmian 2) 61. 9 Ibi, 63 62. Ib 6465 Ib, 68. Ib, 68 13. "e subject of inguisti ony the materil only h ns of speeh om nition ad not speech communition iel not utte n their sn no the relaonships mong them (diogic) not the rms of sph commuon, not speech genres Lnguistics studies only the relationsps mong elen thin the language system, not the relationshps among utera d no th ons of utteraces to reali ad to the speaker nor beteen h tternces an p and ture utternces Mkhail Bahtn B, Sh Gr ad h a says trans Ve W McGee (A Tex: Uns of Tex es 1986) 8
14. Ibid 68 127. 5. "Instead of obltern possby of ponse paing the adss wih
fear the threat may b on b ent kin of perrmativ [ Judith Butler ab Sch: A Poliics ofh Prmav ( York: odge
997) 12
16. Mkhail Bahi, Sch Grs ad Oh a says, op cit 76. 7 Ibid 8 Oswd Duos non of h pves ce is in reai h rce of very enuncion, sph , on ltter is undersood
0 cn
ogic
relation The dialogic sphere opens he possibility r generating an ent and strateg aong speakes "n s way, r he person to whom he enunciaon i addrsed, he eld of posible actons is suddey restructured A ne deson emerg whch brin to ght a new measre of behavior Tis reorganzton i not emp ct, aident occung because of he utterce Osd Ducrot "De Saussure la phlosophie du langage, op cit, 22 19 In reaiy, practc intercourse is constay generating ough sloly and in a nrrow sphere The nterrelaionships beeen speers are aays chngng, even if he degree of change hy noceable n he procss of s genetion e content being generated so generates Practica interchge caries he naue of an event, and he most nsignicant phiologica exchage partcipates n his incessant generation of the event Mkha Bakhtin, Pavel Medvedev he a ethd i itea Schh, ans be J Wehrle (Cambridge Havard Uni versit Prs, 198), 9 20 For there o be a poer reaonsp (nd not smply violence), it i nec hat "'he oher te one over whom powe exercsed) be thoroughy recognd and maintaned to the vey end a peon who acts; ad at ced wh a re onsp of power, a whole ed of respon, rectio, rests and posible inventions may open up Mche Fouut "The Subject and Poer, n Hube Drs ad Paul Rbinow Bd Sucua ad Heeeuti (Chgo The Universi of icago Prs 1983) 220 21 "Ths is st of becase discouse is a wpon of poe conol subjecon, qucaton d dsquaton Bate dscose d not recve dscoe [ ] scoursete mere ct ospng, oemplog wors, o usng the words o oers even i it meas ting em around), ors hat oers udersad ad accept ad possibly tun around esev)his vey ct is a rce Discourse is wi respect to he relation o rces not only a surce of inscripton but itself operates eec Michel Foucaut D et vol 3 Pais: Gaimard, 1994) 124 22 Bakhtn, Seech Gee d h ate sas op cit, 9-96 Dialogism be understood qute e in e ters ut uses to descbe acon "T]he way n hch a pater in a ceain gme ac wh regad to hat he shod be e acton of e ohers d hat he considers e others nk to be is on; it is te a in which one seeks to have e advtage over ohers. Michel Foucut, "The Subec d Power, op cit, 224 Gmes in Foucault e of a hole erent kid than ose e nd n Wienstein 23 V N Volonov Voloshov Discourse in Life ad Discourse in (Con cerng Sociologic Poe) as R Tu, reudia a a C (Ne York Ademc Prss 1976, 02, 06 24 Ibid 104 2 Voloshiov quoted e odorov, ikhai Bakh he Diaca Pp Wad Godzch nneapos: vers of Minnota Prs, 184), 46
Ns 1
26. Voloshinov, op. it. 104. 2 Ibid 2 Ibid. 10. 29 For Rnier th 200 rio wr no polal bus th "youth d co insti
ut a spa r incrlouton.
30 [A] rain prformaiv r ruls om th rhrsal of th onvnional
rma in non-onvnonal wys [...] [A] rmula c br th its originay onc assumig mnn and ntions r whih it w nvr intndd Judith Butlr, tab Sch, op. i 14 Drrda idns th "r of th prfor mativ with a scru fatr of th sign ry sign bng oblgd bra wth th ontt in whh it i usd in ordr co ons i "icrabl Hr th soial onvntions do no onstitut th r of th prformv as in Astn, bu rahr th scru sttus of h sigm�k. 31 Th sph a also rqr a rpition bu an oncolol on whih ms b
distinguishdom lnguisti rptition. Ths th non of ron in Guaari's istntial pragmati.
32 M Bakhcin A and rabii trs. Vadim Liapnov (stin Ts: Univi ofT Prs, 1990), 30309 S Gua's mmnry in Chaoos,
trans Pal Bains d Jlian Pfanis (Bloomngton Indana: Indiana Unvrsi Prs 199), 1-1
33. M Bakhtin A andrabii, op it. 34 M Bkh, Sch Gnr and hr Lat sas, op it. 19. 3 Ibid., 69 36 Ibd, 9 3 Oswd Doc, D Sssr l phlosop du l, 34 3 iiss sshs b h loonry a, orsonding co phon ro o r sos or co rul), m d sman
i; h iloo , dd by th rul of diso whn somon ks so, vs ordr, s, w and so on o so gag an obligaion o i disv bhvor whh rur h os possibili r disrsiv o); d h oo , whih go byond dsos d i dd by h s it hs o h lisr h lings ho, nd ons) Among liis, h s i onlis r ar so son psyhoogi , d sooo osqs suppmnng th iaio. nly Bakhn d Gr h hs liisi prnipl. Th thois osdrd h undr of sios o sm h With Pr h poo h of i or shpn h ohrs ond) om spmng th of nun io, r ss r o i. [ . ] In sm Pir arrivs a ory oflanguag in
22 gs ad achs
a more rigoro sense Srle's. Christne ie e sica (Pris: Prs Unvrsiairs de Fnce 1995 148 39 Te raon is utlers n &citab pch op ci 28 0. M Bakhtn Spch Gr d Other y op i 2 Iid.A ry 928 B, usn sa umen rid s od of commnon T sceme is rday norrct In r h rlaionhp beteen A d R is constntly cnn d gnrag d if hg n h o munctv ros And hr no rdyad onion I gnrad n e pce of ntercours beteen A nd R thror X is no id o one t othr bu conscted ben h a kd of idoogi bridg s bult n th pros of ter ntecton The Fal Mhd i ita Schh o 2 h prformav's rdiscove by i hogh i iar n he US a crrn of "prformaiv stues dlod whh dn rformave and peoranc whrs ter dnm r diariy opposd
42. Ter h sle urc wt i indvidai nd raiviy no y be redd a cmp cmbia of rms of lngag a is sup osed, r ex by ussue nd by mny ohr ngusts ar o jxposed e rnce ( par) a puely individul ct Bakh Spch Grs o , 8 Tee is no only combntoy of lngag b aso on of speec genre of wys of spekn
43. bid 77 hr re a gre mny vyday d s gnr i iy d industi commnd nd ordr) in whih rion a i d by on snn of pproria p [ ] B r omn w nd oy not hat ths of snn kn oghr vry saby wh is gn rion and aso ta absorbs invda rssion spiay iy Sch setces have cbted mch t reirg the illi that the setece are reive (my mha sis Ibid 89-9 Th r d prsiv of h seh a nvr drvs o ynai gra rs Bnvis bi b ony o h dia o d vav raohs tha sot hm Coand or prssivi no givn via absc of lgag b hrogh h "diog haroni ough voi ha rav trn d a aon n rss h baui h and t 4. bid 8
5 Ibid 7 6 Juih Br b See o 28 In " or n "rouony rdinof he raonhi bn anga d owr on r "speh gn of h r! Radi and o sd "h L d to "Lng [a ae] (to aon rrion o ak n ns oina yrd vion rplac dndn on oa si Th rrion of d i th od iron of od br h ivni Now i is no onr his sn h
Ne / 23
de order but n "dvdal sin gint he pararchl order d he law of pi m. This Hg-an ren s of he acriy! 47 Jacq Lcn, , tran Bu Fik (N York W Noron, 48. Focalt lwys oncived power s rltonhip ofpower (wheer n he m of war, batl or goveent) in whih tin drenly is always poible. A way out of ower's gp s nvr ouht in th l Heelacaan hane of mtr and slave svtud power i a ny ndton r emancipton, here no othr solon bt th dalect), bt rthr in te ontolo of the "relon he sel£ 48. Notny in acan, jt a in t oer more or le reacony ocia cinc, ifts n orinar "lack, a consitutve abence, an "comtn, and man dy in dvlopment, whch th signier, lanage, d cu over ovr and subit Ibid, 5. 49. Mihil Bkh. Th Dc Imnn r. Caryl Erson nd Mihl Hoqust (Aun, Tex: Uversit ofxa Pres, 98 93. . V N Volohov, m nd h hphy f1ge tns Ldslv Mtj d I R unik (New ork Sminar Pre, 973 126. 5. Mikhil Bkhn, Pavel dvdv, Th Fn hd n Liter Schoh, o it, 2. 5. bid Th qeon aries s to wheer cience can de wth such bsoutey unrtble indvidle as uttrnces, or wheher hy tnd byond the bonds of eneral cien oniion And he nsr is of cours it n" B eeh re p
3. It is muh sir to study h givn in wht s rtd (r gug
rdyd d gnr lnt of wod viw rtd hnon o ri d so rth) th to study wht i crtd Frqunty the who o sin ayss ounts to disosu o veg tht h bn givn dy t hd d rdyd br th wor h istd (tht whh is ud by the tist d not crtd by hi) Ibid 1. 54. Mihl Foucut Di et vo 3 o it 4. 55. Mihl Bhtin Sech nres o t 93 56 Ibid 94. . h Dsusv d tn t odcton o Sub . Fli Gtti A roos de Mhns Chim 9 (Sprng 993 94. Flx Gutari, So S1b trns ht Wienr d Eiy Witt (os nle Sotet() 29 99. rnsltion modd 3 Fl ari and Oivier nttin avc Oivier Z," Chm 3 (Smmer 994 58. Nrly of this htr' qottion tkn om he
27 gs ad ah
anscripons of Guat's seminars, whic c be und on he himes website (htp//wrevuechimeres./drupal_chimeres/?q=tonoymenu/3/236) e re informl discussions that he author d not pl r pubtion Th e glimpse of hs g i ws developng 4 lx Guai Sigulait e complexi" Seminar of Janay 22, 1985 Badiou would d we read more atenively wha Deleuze woe wih the non iosophe" Guri er c fSe d pecilly what Guatari wroe alone. I old preven m seing eoods of te pe Dele's rmul i iocable The e t is to say sense.' From the beg of his book, he ons wha y d is a cheical enti, inconsisent poanteauword: e seseevent Iideall is bings hm closer han he wold have wished e inguistic nd he geat ineage of contemporry sophsry To rgue at e event belon r e register of sense tips it over entirely ono the side of lan ge" Alain Bu cs f r trans Albero Tosno York: Cnuum, 009 86. Not ony id Guattari steer Delee awy om psyco lis but om scalism well Foucaut's las lecur eqully put the ie to Bos ccs coding o wich Fou iplsibly supposed t hve semaed a lisic tropology." bid, 35.
6. lix Guatai cise de producon de subjecvit" Seminar ofApril 3 198 7 li Guatai, Singli e complexi" op. cit 8 li Guatai, Machne absraie et chp non-su" Semnar ofarch 1 1985 9 ix Guatri hasm, Pau Bains and Julian Penis (Bloomnon, ndiana: nana Unversi Press, 1995), 1718 10. F Guai Suber conaon prion Seminar ofpl 5, 198 1 1 Fx Guai Semna of Ocober 1985 1 Flx Guatr Singulait et complex" op. c. 13 Fx Guat, Seminr of Ocober l 1985. 1 Fix Guati, Sngularit et compli," op. cit. ontent nd sense become double semanc content and a patic content a semioc sense nd an enl sense 15 Fx Guatari, Seminar of October l 1985. 16 So it is at r ded, a nsellaon of rtomellos [] ave ac to a Lenin specc procu which ud just well be of a rhetoril and lil oder of a phonolol psodi or oer oer e old ing-r iniaonat limat a aon of belonng o a oupsubjec depends upon a nnaon and bmingnen of
Noes / 5
he componen, whch eby rtod." Flx Guat, iueos nd Eistentia Aects," trans Jina Schiari and Georges Vn Den Abbeee, he a R ed Ga Genosko (Cbridge Blacel Publshe, 996) 6. 7. Flix Guai, Seminar of October l 98 8. The subjecv of the coecve assembage ofenunciaon i characteed by a subjecve rnsivsm I d someone ese cres; [] there i no atibution of eects nd ec" Fix Guatri, Subsuer conciaon pression," op cit 9. Fix Guat, hasms op cit, 92. 20 Fx Guati, achine abste et chmp nondiscursi" op t 2. Fx Guai, Semin of Ocober 98. 22 Flix Guatti, hasms op cit, 93 23. Fx Guattri, Singuarit et compexit," op. cit 24 Ibid. 2. Freud refers to vro cent ms n the connons, and that h rch have now plned how it me about that nybody shoud or pro pound a m of that so Wher in ct Freud done someng derent He not given a scienc plaon ofe ncient my What he done i to ppound a ne myth" Ludg Wittgenstein, Lr and nva n h Pch and eli ed. C Btt (Berkel Uei of a Pr, 967) 2 lx Gui, hasms op. cit. . 2. Flx Guattri, achine absite et chmp nondiscurs" op. cit. 28. Fix Guatti, acte et la singulrit," Semin of April 28 98. 29. Tngs happen outside of repreetatons, things tat rent e roduct of chce but rather are higly dierentated, involvng the enre economy of subsequent choices. And the st of the thins [ .] is the ct of ctng ise£ ndeed, you have the rein of reprentation, � right, I'm going to go o." d then, a moment later, yore leang but you have no reprentation haoeer [ .] Te I'm going somewhere got dsconnected om the system of rereseno. nd yet, it h to do with representation; these arent the re of decerebrated og. [. ] Beeen reprention and the act, a whole range of relationsps re ossible!" Ibid 30 We ts orkg" during a revoution, a struggle, a socil ce etc. one i not prmrily deg ith consciousns raising" but wh semblge of discusive d ondscusive elements which ncton and ccute i dgrmmatic rester oe is delg i a reolutionary wr machine." 3 Flx Gui Sem of October 98 32 lx Gui ce et l singularit," Semnar ofAprl 28, 98
27 gns and achines
33. Fix Gui "Crse de producto de ubjeivt, Semn ofApi 3 94 3 Fix Gui "Macne absrate et hmp on-dscus op it 35 '�ohe tego mst be thought p beue there s no lik beue hee
s iuivi, because exstental teitoie re blocked n oiuive agglomeo on-dscusve conseio Ibd 36 Fix Gur, "Crse de productio de ubjetvt, op ct 37. Ibid Flix Guttar, "tourelles et ect exitentiels (Dscussio) Semi of Septembe 987 9 Ibid 40 Thi reltonsp betee the icuive d te non-diuive i w otctoy d "naby condi You not seek he ehioehe ompletion of aect I sang hi hik of Degy: we ee ht hi ide of ompletion s, mea, at botom him t e level o the met geue; hee s no room r words t te e time Delgny s a kid of euiive elegce, a wrtten elegance. e ehil dieon s obvou o O oue Delgny sll developed rmdble mh Hi whole lfe, he wote ovel even kind of mytology, at a cern poit of he uepentant deiquent, at anoter pont, o te autstc chld, bese hee w o oe wa d. e potcs o te event te popoe a weak and stnte one snce, n e ee i ot oe ulon beeen te tental nd te dscrsve to exie bu hee bee duing, nd aer te event of a struggle cnge, a evolutio The eliohp beeen suectvaton and economc, socil, nst io d iuii o mst be pose n a rdcally deent way bee, dng d e poii rpre. atemted sow n my book meta p Pis dons msterdam, 009 4 Ezo L podzone d valre mezzo di conoscen muale ce on , S l v 5 009 ne only to tn of te cogntive expeience o te soccer menoned n Rllans text to see at e peence he h n mnd as lttle t do wth te gnve 4 Gil Dele d F utr,Oed Rober Hl Mk Seem, d Helen R Lne (pos Uve oota r 983 353 4. Hee dre os double porit ote senc d tehnil worker k on i o e as mste a o w o kowledge, normaon and e i so asorbed n p at e r ood, xomazed spid coid t so hat, wen he ome n he ening, e redsoves tle dgn by neng th a teleson set dpi. Of oe the scienst as suc h o oo oena e e t nteated agent o ntaon, a rege bd onsen, the rd dyer of own crv bd., 3
oe 2
45. Cited by Guatti in Schaac Caahi, op. cit., 274n Bhn, he Poblem of Content, Mteial, and Fm in Vebal " a Aabili, op. cit, 278. 46. Fli Guattai L cise de poducon de subjectiit," op cit 7. Euco d Pocs Jacques Rncie inteview th Ec Biopoli o Poli?"De, an. Steven Cocoan New Yok: Connuum, 2010), 93.
2 Michel uut, Ethi, . be H ewYo: e New P 1997), 81. 3 Mchel Foucault, The Cuage the Tth, tans. Gaha Buchell New Yok: Palgave Macillan, 20 1 1), 9. 4. Michel Fouut, The Gvmt Sea Oth, ans. Gah Buchell New Yok: Pagae Macmllan, 2010), 16 5. Ibid, 184 6 Jacques Rncie, O the Shes Pli, tans. L Heon New Yok: Veso, 1995), 65. he loc pled by e ac of spng and the ineli logc inheent in the soc bond," ibid., 8 1 7 he Englshlanguage alato of ane's The Pli Aesthe den Police o Police Ode" as lows: A e geneal law that detemin the bu on o pats nd oles a commu wel as i ms of clion, the poi i s and emos oon of bod bed on a communal buon of the sensile ans Gabiel New Yok Connu 2004), 89 Tslaos note. 8 Jacque ancie, Daeemet, ts Jue Rose nnpols Unvesity of Minnesota Pes 1999) 51 9 Ibid., 50 10 Ibid, 56. 1 1 Mchel Foca The Gvmet Sead hr op. ci 62 63. _ 12 Ibid, 68 13. Michel Foucault, The Cuage Tth, op. cit, 13. 14 bid, 15. Wlli J, The ll t Believe, lliam am: W 18781899 ed. Gead E Myes (New Yok: Liba ofmei, 1992), 458. 16. Michel Fouult, The Cuage the Tth, op cit, 46. 17. Ibid, 225. 18 id 287.
28 g a ah
9 Ibid 283 340 20 Jacqus er Dae op ct . 2 Jacqus Rnir Haed oDmoa rs Stv Corcor w Yor Vrso 2009 8-83. bougt ts ook h day i cm ou Sptmbr 005) whil rnng om ton orgnizd by h Coordaio ds rmttts t Pr ca (Aoton onttt ad rcou Workrs; s haptr . W a rst stormd t oupid th room i which o of Miisry of Cu's mtn on odtrnto ws i plac Th lar icludd govrnmnt rprnttv nons nd mamt who rsd h saus of poli su j to vryon xpt tmslvs Loo ovr h book hat vnig w surprisd to rd t psg cid hr Jus bcaus olibrls aack h w stt do not mn tt shold rsric ourslvs o a dfsiv posito d s tu tt ou of h poliic movm of h 970s t po duton odpd on h St ad h rcis ofpowr ovr h body c) or t itu pot movms coiu to put rd h produto of iut soi d poliicl clusio corol ovr idividuals' liv c.). . u Rnir Dam op ci 9 3 M oult h o oh h op ci 339 4. u Rnir "L Scad dmocraiu ii wih nBptist Maou, Libao Dcmbr 5 2005 25 Mihl out h oa oh th, op t 3 14 . id 2 id 90 8 ihl Fout he Gomt Sead Oth op t. 3 9. u Rncir Daeemet op t 3 30 T Group dnfoo s ! pon w d n 191 upon rl o it mnifo signd by out n om d Pi VidNut A t nm nit t goup sout to ng to t o o t ddn gon o our soi systm n pt t onon o prison o tn d litt or no con wt tor dng t nton ntors not 3. u Rr L mtod d gt n phiophe e tozr Jaqes re urc ou nd Ptc Vrmn on: Hou E ions 00) 514 32. M ouut he oae othe th, op t 7.
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