Abstract

In this paper, I examine the role of literature in 20th-century French philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s vitalistic philosophy, insofar as he defines it is an ‘enterprise of health’ that transports one to the ‘outside of language’. I argue that for him, literature is a means of disrupting one’s natural point of view through language, so as to experience phenomena for their own sake. I articulate my position over the course of three sections: section 1, which grapples with Deleuze’s vitalism, followed by section 2 which addresses his understanding of health and finally, section 3 on his approach to language and in which I also provide a synthesis of my overall thesis. To support my claims, I draw primarily from the author’s book-length study of literature, titled Essays Critical and Clinical and his broader oeuvre, along with the secondary literature. It is intended to offer a contribution to Deleuze Studies and the Philosophy of Literature.