Deleuze as a Researcher of Leibniz’s philosophy: the Soul in the Folds

Abstract

The second chapter «The folds in the soul» of Deleuze’s work «Fold. Leibniz and the Baroque» examines the concepts of «inflection» and «singularity»; baroque mathematics appears to be a sketch of certain variations that found themselves in the artistic dimension of that era. Inflection is defined as an internal singularity, devoid of the axis, without quality. Deleuze showed that the notion of baroque mathematics appeared in Leibniz’s philosophy, where he took as his object variables which are actually variations. This installation of variation as an object changed the very notion of the object, it became functional. At the same time subject also changes its status, acquiring a place, position, or seat. The article also considers the concept of inclusion, which became conditional for answering Deleuze’s question: for what purpose something is folding? It is folding to be put into another thing. According to Deleuze, that in what an inclusion takes place is neither a position nor a place nor a point of view, but something which is situated inside the thing – the subject or soul.