Deleuze saw strong parallels between Nietzsche’s will to power and Spinoza’s conatus

Thanks, Orla. I quite agree, and also feel that affects are themsleves productive even when occasionally negative and painful. As you may or may not know, Deleuze wrote two books on Spinoza. Deleuze’s understanding of becoming is deeply indebted to Spinoza, among others. Deleuze saw strong parallels between Nietzsche’s will to power (as he understood it) and Spinoza’s conatus. Moreover, Spinoza is one of the few philosophers that Nietzsche repeatedly celebrates as an affirmative thinker. I think Deleuze’s relation to Spinoza sheds quite a different light on Deleuze’s own project… Especially when one investigates Spinoza’s own place in the Enlightenment. larvalsubjects said this on April 22nd, 2007 at 11:14 pm