Abstract

Networking, Knowledge and Power: The Control Subject from Deleuze and Guattari through the Information Age explores the concept of control subjectivity, Deleuze and Guattari's theory of both power and resistance within societies that use information technology to organize themselves and their subjects. Each of the chapters offers a case study of one of the components that comprises the overall concept of control subjectivity. Chapter One examines the relationship between normalizing language and political authority in The Logic of Sense, treating this text as a first step towards a theory of control that builds on the works of Serge Leclaire and Jacques Lacan. Chapter Two deals with the relationship between scientific ideology and subjective repression in Anti-Oedipus, placing this work in a tradition of reflection on the repressive character of scientific ideology that includes Gabriel Tarde and Roger Caillois. Chapter Three explores the aesthetic dimension of resistance to control in Cinema 2: The Time-Image, treating it as a contribution to a debate on aesthetic resistance begun by Martin Heidegger and Michel de Certeau. Chapter Four investigates the discussion of information technology and subjective identity in The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque , reading it as a response to both Martin Heidegger and Michel Serres. Finally, the Conclusion offers further suggestions for applying Deleuze and Guattari's concept of control subjectivity to twentieth century philosophical debates