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March 8, 2006
Deleuzes pushes Nietzsche to the limit and beyond. As I read Nietzsche and Philosophy I find myself initially agreeing, then several dense paragraphs latter I think--I don't remember saying things like that. Then I realize that this difference is Deleuze's voice.
A nice quote from here that gives us some insight into Deleuze's interpretation of Nietzsche:
Deleuze views the body, either the chemical, physical, political or social body, as composed of multiple irreducible forces and therefore the unity is a multiple phenomenon. In interpreting Nietzsche, Deleuze names the dominant forces in a body as active and the dominated as reactive (passive in Nietzsche's term). Active forces are spontaneous, aggressive, form-giving and often unconscious forces. "Appropriating, possessing, subjugating, dominating - these are the characteristics of active force. To appropriate means to impose forms, to create forms by exploiting circumstances." The reactive forces are those that rationally pursue utilitarian goals and mechanically react to surroundings. The essence of the concept of reaction is the mechanical and utilitarian accommodation. While reactive force is best marked by "adaptation", active force is characterized by its astonishing burst of creativity and powerful productive capability.
The article is by Xinmei Chein, and he suggests that Deleuze's interpretation of Nietzsche holds that consciousness is reactive force whilst the unconscious is an active force. Nietzsche criticizes modern thought for its satisfaction in understanding an organism only in terms of reactive (passive) forces and neglecting the spontaneous and active ones.
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Deleuze (who I'm anything but an expert on - I've read only a bit) does seem to read Nietzsche is a very Leibnizean way. At least it seems that way to me and I think that quotation is a pretty good example.