Uncertain Interventions Into Laruelle

Written by: Artxell Knaphni on January 30, 2013.

I’ve been reading bits of “Philosophies of difference : a critical introduction to non-philosophy“¹and had a skim through the introduction to “Future Christ : a lesson in heresy“² two days ago.

From these initial engagements, realisations of sorts have emerged. One, Laruelle is worth reading. Two, he is trying to think afresh.

Whether his polemics against difference are internally effective or not, is a question that he sidesteps in a Wittgensteinian fashion (he leaves the realm of differential argument as it is, after delineating its modalities), his concern is to open up an indeterminate ‘topos’, as it were, the “One”, a unilateralised port from which all his excursions can ensue.

“Philosophies of difference : a critical introduction to non-philosophy” would require a close reading to track its nuances: Laruelle uses the “Vision-in-One” to effectuate a particular shift in the terrain of traditional Occidental thought, a recontextualising shift from which he can characterise the epoch of the contemporary as that of “difference”.

He uses various resources as conceptual counterpoint to the philosophies of difference: Neoplatonism, Gnosticism, and Science. Through such resources, and privileged redefinitions of “immanence” as accessorised by the “One”, Laruelle is able to access the powers of science and mysticism. Without close reading and detailed analysis, it isn’t worth arguing with the details of his project. On cursory examination, it seems to me that his project succeeds, on its own terms, at opening up a space we can call Laruellean. Beyond this, it is difficult to say, right now, anything else concerning this space without further reading. I can say this, though: his project plays with openings and closures. It is a playful thinking, though the intent is serious. Enough it seems, to have ruffled Derrida’s feathers, when he took flight.³