The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque

The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque (French: Le Pli: Leibnitz et le Baroque) is a book by Gilles Deleuze which offers a new interpretation of the Baroque and of the work of Leibniz. Deleuze argues that Leibniz’s work constitutes the grounding elements of Baroque philosophy of art and science. Deleuze views Leibniz’s concept of the monad as folds of space, movement and time. He also interprets the world as a body of infinite folds that weave through compressed time and space. The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque - Wikipedia

• Gilles Deleuze. Deleuze. interprets baroque features from a new perspective through Leibniz (German newspaper)‘s concepts of “monism” and “possible worlds.”

The central concept in the book, “Fold” (gills of a mushroom (mycology)), is an important metaphor that Deleuze uses to interpret and reconstruct Leibniz’s ideas from a modern perspective.

Fold” literally means “folding” or “folds,” and Deleuze uses this concept to describe a continuum that transcends the binary oppositions of matter and spirit, interior and exterior, infinite possibility and concrete reality. Citing Leibniz’s concept of the (philosophical) monad (a fundamental element of the universe, itself a closed world), Deleuze explains that every monad has infinite internal folds, which develop its own internal space while interacting with the external world. Deleuze explains that every monad has infinite internal folds that develop their own internal space while interacting with the outside world. This idea corresponds to the formal characteristics found in Baroque works of art, such as endlessly unfolding forms, deep shadows and light, and intricate ornamentation.

The “Fold” in The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque provides a philosophical framework that links physical, metaphysical, and aesthetic dimensions. Through this concept, Deleuze explores how individual entities retain their uniqueness while relating to the whole, and how the infinite and the finite, diversity and unity interact. Fold is thus a core tool of thought in Deleuze’s philosophy and a key to understanding the new model of existence and cognition he proposes.

Is the nuance of “infinite folds in a monad” that even a small object of finite size can have an infinite surface area due to the infinite folds inside?

Yes, that interpretation goes to the heart of the concept that Deleuze develops in The Fold: Leibniz and the Baroque. Deleuze’s expression “there are infinite folds in the monad” has metaphysical implications and extends Leibniz’s theory of the monad with a modern interpretation. The expression implies that it encompasses infinite possibilities and complexities that transcend physical size and limits.

Leibniz’s monad is said to be a closed unit, yet related to the external world by an internal principle without a window. Deleuze extends this concept by explaining that the monad (or smallest unit of being) has infinite “folds” folded inside, allowing a finite being to contain an infinite number of expressions and potentialities. The “folds” here symbolize not only actual physical space, but also the infinite unfolding of time, experience, and potentiality.

This idea carries with it the nuance that even the smallest of entities can have a complex world inside and infinite possibilities. The idea that something of finite size can have an infinite surface area (or infinite internal structures and relationships) is also an interesting concrete example of the concept of infinity in metaphysics, philosophy, and mathematics. Through such thinking, Deleuze opens up new perspectives in ontology and epistemology.

How does a windowless monad interact with the outside in its interior folds?

A “windowless monad” in Leibniz’s philosophy is described as a closed unit that exists without direct external influence. This concept is based on the idea that each monad is completely independent and does not interact with other monads through physical interaction. How, then, do monads establish relationships and interact with the external world?

Leibniz answers this question through the concept of “pre-established harmony. Pre-established harmony is the idea that when God created the monads, He designed them all to be in harmony beforehand. In other words, each monad is independent and programmed to achieve consistent order and harmony as a whole, without direct influence from each other.

When Gilles Deleuze states that “there are infinite folds in the monad,” he is extending this Leibnizian concept and interpreting it on a more abstract level. For Deleuze, the “folds” symbolize the infinite potential or possibility that the monad develops internally, and this internal development provides a way for the monad to relate indirectly to the external world. The “folds” of a monad allow for indirect interaction with the external world through internal movements and changes that reflect external events and the state of other monads.

In this theory, the monad does not interact with the external world through a direct window, but through its internal dynamic structure and preset principles of harmony with the ever-changing and evolving external world. This process is at the heart of Leibniz’s philosophy, in which each monad has its own internal world, yet plays a role in the harmony of the universe as a whole.

Hmmm, I don’t immediately agree, but given Leibniz’s zeitgeist, I understand it’s a “perfect world designed by God” worldview. I don’t think we can uncritically extend that to Deleuze’s time.

Leibniz’s worldview of a perfect world designed by God is certainly deeply connected to the intellectual background of his time. It is an idea that emerged from the intersection of philosophy, science, and religion at the height of the Enlightenment, and it proposes an optimistic cosmology in which all existence is in harmony as part of God’s perfect plan.

Gilles Deleuze’s historical background and thought, on the other hand, differed significantly from Leibniz’s. In the second half of the 20th century, especially amid the growing influence of post-structuralism, Deleuze focused on re-examining and deconstructing existing philosophical frameworks and concepts. For Deleuze, Leibniz’s notions of “scheduled harmony” and “perfect world” were not necessarily to be taken literally, but rather as a starting point for a new metaphysical and ontological inquiry.

Rather than accepting Leibniz’s ideas uncritically, Deleuze reinterpreted them in light of contemporary concerns and used them as a tool to create new philosophical concepts. His concern is with change, difference, diversity, and the infinity of potentiality, rather than with theological explanations or the search for absolute order. In Deleuze’s philosophy, concepts such as “folds” and “monads” are used to suggest dynamic processes, interactions, and creative possibilities rather than static entities.

In this way, Deleuze transformed Leibniz’s ideas to take on new meaning in the postmodern context of the 20th century. His approach was to critically examine historical philosophical ideas from a contemporary perspective and use them to solve new problems, thus transcending Leibniz’s zeitgeist to find ways to apply his ideas to the present. Deleuze’s work is not a direct extension of Leibniz’s ideal worldview, but an attempt to reinterpret it and construct a new theoretical framework for the times.

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