Gilles Deleuze

Gilles Deleuze (French: [ʒil dəløz], "zheel duh-LOOZ"); 18 January 1925 – 4 November 1995) was a French philosopher. He wrote about philosophy, literature, movie, and art. His most popular books were the two parts of Capitalism and Schizophrenia. The first part is titled Anti-Oedipus (1972), and the second part is titled A Thousand Plateaus (1980). Both books were written with his academic partner Félix Guattari. He also wrote Difference and Repetition (1968). Some people think that he is among the greatest philosophers. His work is considered very important in philosophy and art, including literary theory, semiotics, poststructuralism, postmodernism, and psychoanalysis. He has also grown popular in antipsychiatry communities for his criticisms of the psychoanalytic movement, but this remains widely questioned.

Life

Deleuze was born in Paris and lived there most of his life. He went to school during World War II and later studied philosophy and history at the University of Paris. He started teaching philosophy in 1948, and taught at several universities. He married Denise Paul "Fanny" Grandjouan in 1956.

Deleuze worked at the University of Vincennes in Saint-Denis from 1969 to 1987. There he became friends and worked with Michel Foucault and Félix Guattari, his friendship with Michel Foucault coming to an end in 1977 after a disagreement on the concept of desire as a productive force.

He had a lung removed in 1968 because he had tuberculosis. It was difficult for him to breathe for the rest of his life. He died by committing suicide in 1995.