[D-G] ABOUT HARALD WENK'S E-MAIL

[Tancredo Neto]

Hi, everybody.

I would like to make a few remarks about what Harald Wenk has written.
First of all, Kant had appreciated very much the way Salomon Maimon had read
him.
But he knew Salomon's reading was AGAINST him. You can check this on the
English edition of Salomon Maimon's ESSAY ON TRANSCENDENTAL PHILOSOPHY,
edited by *continuum* in 2010, I think. (www.continuumbooks.com)
Maimon had written a letter to Kant, asking for his opinion about his future
book. He said he would only publish it if Kant approved his work. (Pages
228-9 of the English editon, in the Appendix I).
Kant replied in a letter to Herz, approving "its excellence" (page 231 of
the English edition, Appendix II) and saying that "Mr. Maimon's way of
presenting things is in fact one and the same as Spinoza's" (page 231). And
in the end Kant said he couldn't commend the book in a written form to be
published with Maimon's book, "since it is fact for the most part
directed *against
me*." (Page 236, Kant's words...).
I think there are some books that we that read Deleuze must read, and this
book is one of them. And we must thank the people who translated and
published this book in English, finally!
So, Harald, Kant himself praised Maimon's reading and recognized Spinoza's
inspiration!

Second thing: I can't discuss the differential calculus with Harald. I am
still trying to learn it...
But I know that René Thom recognized D'Arcy Thompson's GROWTH AND FORM as
his initial inspiration. And I would like to remember a name that is very
unjustly forgotten: LANCELOT HOGBEN. Lancelot Hogben has written the best
introductions to Mathematics that I know: MATHEMATICS FOR THE MILLION and
MATHEMATICS IN THE MAKING.
I think that if we really want to understand the use that Deleuze has made
of the dy/dx expression, Lancelot Hogben's books are the best way to start.
And you will find L. Hogben showing his appreciation of D'Arcy Thompson's
book in the end of MATHEMATICS FOR THE MILLION. These two books are
wonderfully illustrated, and written as introductions to Mathematics, so
buying them is a good step to approach the famous dy/dx expression that
Deleuze liked to use.

This is the basics of what I want to say. I thank Harald for the time he
takes to explain some things, but I think he overestimates my knowledge of
the differential calculus, in general. I know that the economists use this
in their work, but I think we must have a general, a historical view of the
mathematical process that came until Deleuze called the attention of many
people that wouldn't care to know about it if were not for Deleuze's use of
it.

So now we have the edition of Salomon Maimon's book in English, a very nice
edition. And there are these two Lancelot Hogben's books... They are the
best in their kind, as far as I know. If anybody knows something better,
please tell me!
And thank you again, Harald!

Warm regards from Brazil,
Tancredo Braga