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Theory of “partial object” in Gilles Deleuze : In Search of its ontological and aesthetical meaning

  • The Journal of Aesthetics and Science of Art
  • Abbr : JASA
  • 2014, 41(), pp.31-59
  • Publisher : 한국미학예술학회
  • Research Area : Arts and Kinesiology > Other Arts and Kinesiology
  • Published : June 30, 2014

Jae-Yin KIM 1

1서울대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The concept of “partial object(objet partiel)” which plays an important role in Gilles Deleuze is originated from Melanie Klein, a famous psychoanalyst of children. While Sigmund Freud conceives human development from the(diachronic) viewpoint of “stage” or “phase”, Klein does from the(synchronic) viewpoint of “position”. According to Klein, human goes from “paranoid-schizoid position” to “depressive position” or vice versa, which should be comprehended not as a step-by-step development but as a change of position between the two. A little child has a phantasy whose main function is projective identification or intorjection. In the first position, a little child separates good object from bad in order to love or hate it. This phantasy is necessary for a little weak child to survive. This position is called “schizoid” because one separates all objects each other and “paranoid” because one experiences all objects in delusions. In this position, all objects are “partial”, because they are either good or bad. The eminent example is mother’s breast. Little child is only interested in breast, not in whole mother, for her/his sole concern is direct satisfaction or not of her/his drive. But in the second position, little child realizes that “good” object and “bad” object is one and the same whole, so begins to integrate the partial objects into “a whole object”. Everything is absolutely not good nor bad. So this position is called “depressive”. But as mentioned above, according to Klein, the two positions are not developmental stages but two different positions which will also remain in adults. Deleuze criticizes the Kleinian conception of “partial object”. First, partial object is not related with phantasy, but with real process of production as that of desiring-machine(machine désirante). Second, partial object is selected only apparently from whole person, but it is in reality produced in terms of the selection from a impersonal flux or hyle. In short, partial object is not anthropological but ontological entity. “Partial objects are molecular functions of the unconscious”. Partial object is produced from selection-cutting(coupure-prélèvement). Deleuze defines machine as “a system of cutting of flux”. Here cutting is not opposed to flux, but presupposes it. Cutting and flux are relative, for the former refers to peras or determination and the latter apeiron or the indeterminate. The product of cutting is partial object as object in general. The concept of partial object has some important meaning both ontological and aesthetic. The plasticity or potentiality of material in the process of art-working reveals the nature of being in general. Being is becoming and transformation. A whole is always partial. The partiality of object encourages artistic or creative experimentation. There is no final fixed object but only partial object always ready to be transformed. This is the ultimate meaning of partial object in aesthetics and ontology.

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