Deconstructing Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus for Music Education

Abstract

In this essay, Deleuze and Guattari's ideas as discussed in their book, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, are critically examined with a view to determining the merits of their ideas as a basis for a philosophy of music education. Three principal questions are at the heart of this analysis: What are Deleuze and Guattari asking us to believe? What is our assessment of their contributions and detractions? What are the implications of our analysis for music education? Our approach is dialogical in juxtaposing an analysis of their ideas construed more broadly with an examination of selected metaphors that they use, and thereby combining literal and figurative thought. While their thinking constitutes a limited and flawed basis for a philosophy of music education, they prompt insights that are valuable for music education thought and practice.