Difference and Givenness

From one end of his philosophical work to the other, Gilles Deleuze consistently described his position as a transcendental empiricism. But just what is transcendental about Deleuze ' s transcendental empiricism? And how does his position fit with the traditional empiricism articulated by Hume? In Difference and Givenness, Levi Bryant addresses these long-neglected questions so critical to an understanding of Deleuze ' s thinking. Through a close examination of Deleuze ' s independent work--focusing especially on Difference and Repetition-- as well as his engagement with thinkers such as Kant, Ma i mon, Bergson, and Simondon, Bryant sets out to unearth Deleuze ' s transcendental empiricism and to show how it differs from transcendental idealism, absolute idealism, and traditional empiricism.& nbsp;
What emerges from these efforts is a metaphysics that strives to articulate the conditions for real existence, capable of accounting for the individual itself without falling into conceptual or essentialist abstraction. In Bryant ' s analysis, Deleuze ' s metaphysics articulates an account of being as process or creative individuation based on difference, as well as a challenging critique--and explanation--of essentialist substance ontologies. A clear and powerful discussion of how Deleuze ' s project relates to two of the most influential strains in the history of philosophy, this book will prove essential to anyone seeking to understand Deleuze ' s thought and its specific contribution to metaphysics and epistemology.& nbsp;