[D-G] Concepts seen as functions (malgosia askanas)

[Cain, Prof. Jeffrey P.]

Depending on how one defines "virtual," one could say it is a question of whether language is prior to Deleuze and Deleuze and Guattari's concept of the concept. A concept, as I understand it, is expressed in language that has already been thought, but this would still leave a whole virtual field of as-yet unthought concepts in as-yet unthought language. Think, for example, of the notion of linguistic competence. Clearly language is prior to understanding in some sense. Could unthought language be said to be part of any concept whatever?

Kindest Regards,

Jeff Cain


From: deleuze-guattari-bounces at lists.driftline.org [deleuze-guattari-bounces at lists.driftline.org] on behalf of malgosia askanas [ma at panix.com]
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 8:44 PM
To: deleuze-guattari at lists.driftline.org
Subject: Re: [D-G] Concepts seen as functions (malgosia askanas)

But Rutger, if the virtual form of the letter A is, as you are
proposing, its encoding as a series of 0s and 1s, and its
actualization is its specific appearance on the computer screen, this
does not happen without: (1) a standard of digital encoding of the
Latin alphabet having been proposed, discussed, adopted and anounced;
(2) somebody writing and compiling the particular program running in
your computer; (3) electricity being supplied to your computer; (4)
your computer executing code; (5) your screen holding together as a
material object; etc., etc., etc. - all of which are energetic
processes!   No?

-m



At 1:40 AM +0200 5/3/11, Rutger H. Cornets de Groot wrote:
>Hi, Malgosia,
>
>It's been a long time!
>I cannot possibly answer these questions but I have some thoughts on
>your first example of the virtual and actual. My idea is that there
>is no need for energy functions or for a creative effort in order to
>go from one to the other. The way I like to think about the virtual
>and actual is that they are two states of one and the same. The
>example that comes to mind is words, or even letters. We all know an
>A when we see one, but when we do, it is always actual, which means
>that it is attached to a medium. This may be a piece of paper, a
>stone tablet, the bark of a tree or sand on the beach but it's
>always material. The closest we get to its virtual form is when it
>appears on a computer screen (or phone display, etc). We see it
>compiled from digital code (one's and zero's), and its appearance
>will depend on certain settings. Whichever way you look at it,
>however, I don't think there is energy or creative effort involved
>in these appearances or actualizations. I would simply say that the
>virtual state of the letter A is indeed a concept, and not a
>function.
>What do you think?
>
>Kindly,
>Rutger
>
>Rutger H. Cornets de Groot
>Joan Maetsuyckerstraat 80A
>2593 ZM Den Haag
>070-3356483
>06-21980350
>RHCdG <http://www.cornetsdegroot.com/rhcdg>
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