The Geology of Morals
Notes about the plateau by Deleuze and Guatarri
| Concept | Definition | Key Characteristics | Relationship to Other Concepts | Examples (from the text & general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matter | The fundamental, unformed, unorganized, non-stratified, or destratified body (Plane of Consistency/BwO) | - Raw potential, pure flux, chaotic soup of energies. - Flows: constant transformation. - Subatomic & submolecular particles, pure intensities, prevital & prephysical free singularities. |
Precedes and is the raw material for Content and Expression. It's the ground from which all strata emerge. | Undifferentiated energy, pure chaos before organization, subatomic particles before forming atoms. |
| Content | Formed matters | - Substance: The kind of matter chosen (the "what it's made of"). - Form: The order in which chosen matters are arranged (the "how it's put together," structure, configuration). |
Formed by the First Articulation of the Double Articulation process. It is what is being expressed by Expression. Has its own form and substance. | The specific chemical elements of a rock (substance), its crystalline structure (form). The cellulose and lignin in wood (substance), its grain and shape (form). |
| Expression | Functional structures | - Organization of their own specific form: The internal logic and arrangement of the expressive element itself. - Substances insofar as they form compounds: How the expressive element interacts with and binds other substances, creating new functions. |
Formed by the Second Articulation of the Double Articulation process. It is what articulates or determines Content. Has its own form and substance. "To express is always to sing the glory of God." | Nucleic sequences (DNA) determining compounds/organism/functions of an organism. The grammar and syntax of a language, enabling communication. |
| Stratum | A stable, organized layer of reality formed through the double articulation. | - Always has a dimension of Expression serving as a basis for relative invariance (a stable code/pattern). - "Every stratum is a judgment of God." |
Formed by the process of Double Articulation (which distributes Content and Expression). It is a coherent system where Content and Expression are interwoven. | A geological layer of rock, a biological organism, a social institution, a language. |
| Double Articulation | The core process by which strata are formed and maintained. | - First Articulation: Concerns Content (selection and arrangement of matters into substances and forms). - Second Articulation: Concerns Expression (development of functional structures, establishing relative invariance). |
Distributes Content and Expression within each Stratum, constituting their real distinction. Creates an Isomorphism with Reciprocal Presupposition between them. | The process by which a language evolves (e.g., words are formed - 1st articulation; grammar rules emerge - 2nd articulation). |
| Isomorphism with Reciprocal Presupposition | The relationship between Content and Expression. | - Isomorphism: They share a similar underlying structure or pattern. - Reciprocal Presupposition: They depend on each other; one cannot exist without the other. There is no correspondence or conformity. |
Describes the dynamic, interdependent relationship between Content and Expression within a Stratum. | The structure of a genetic code (expression) being isomorphic to the structure of the proteins it builds (content). |
up:: A Thousand Plateaus