Geography of Philosophy: A Deleuzian Perspective

Momeninia, Mahdi; Vaezi, Asghar

doi:10.22096/ek.2026.2057144.1590

Geography of Philosophy: A Deleuzian Perspective

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Mahdi Momeninia ¹

Asghar Vaezi ²

¹ PhD student in Philosophy, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22096/ek.2026.2057144.1590

Abstract

In their book What is Philosophy?, Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari engage in a meta-philosophical discussion on the nature of philosophy, distinguishing it from other disciplines such as science and art. After a period of fruitful philosophical activity, they revisit the fundamentals to articulate what philosophy truly is. According to Deleuze, philosophy—understood as a discipline whose primary mission is the creation of concepts—is intrinsically linked to territory and land. In other words, philosophy, its problems, and its concepts cannot be conceived without a specific territory. They argue that such philosophizing is the authentic and materialist approach to philosophy. Based on this understanding and the inherent immanent task they assign to it, Deleuze and Guattari also hold a different view of the history of philosophy—as a dialectical process based on purpose and necessity. By incorporating geography into philosophy, they establish the concept of geophilosophy. Deleuze and Guattari consider all philosophy to be fundamentally geophilosophy, rejecting any philosophy detached from land and territory. This article aims to provide an introduction to Gilles Deleuze's philosophy and to examine his unique explanation of geophilosophy. Ultimately, it seeks to narrate their transition from a historical to a geographical perspective on philosophy.

Keywords

earth

history of philosophy

geophilosophy

Deleuze

Subjects

contemporary philosophy

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