Abstract

This dissertation constructs a shared plane between the thought processes of two philosophers, American pragmatist John Dewey and French poststructuralist Gilles Deleuze, by juxtaposing philosophical concepts that, at first sight, appear to be separated by time, place and culture. The methodology for the project is derived from the cartographic method employing the contemporary cultural studies' format of diverse forms of mapping. ;The structure of the dissertation, reflecting its title, is three-fold. First, by introducing several novel concepts in their epistemological, social, affective, ethical and aesthetic dimensions, as they arise in Deleuze's original works as well as in his collaborative projects with social psychologist Felix Guattari, my intent is to establish Deleuze's philosophical position as pragmatic in the best American tradition. Second, I read certain excerpts from Dewey through the lens of Deleuze's conceptualizations and neologisms in order to discover the plurality of meanings and the relevance of Deweyan thought to a contemporary context. Third, and following the emergent interconnections between the two philosophers, I revisit Deleuze's philosophy to consider its potential implications for education. The latter addresses specific issues that result in chapters focusing on the following: the problematics of human subjectivity, the dynamic of language and communication, the role of intuition in inquiry and Deleuze's new image of thought, Deleuze's concept of "becoming-child" and learning from experience. ;References to Charles Sanders Peirce's logic as semiotics, Nel Noddings' relational ethics, and contemporary research in self-organization and complex systems support and supplement this project's main thesis regarding the continuity between Deleuze's method of nomadic inquiry and Dewey's educational philosophy. For both, epistemology is future-oriented and is inseparable from ethics in terms of values constructed during the experiential and experimental process. Experience is rendered meaningful not by reference to abstract Universals but by treating concepts as objects of multiple encounters depending on particular situations. ;Finally, I critically examine the practical effects of applying Deleuze's philosophy to qualitative research in education. I recommend, with regard to the context of schooling, that Gilles Deleuze's philosophical position is recognized in educational theory and practice in connection with the new, postmodern, scholarship on Dewey.