François Laruelle is generally not considered a post-structuralist, even though there are some thematic overlaps between his work and the post-structuralist tradition. While both Laruelle and post-structuralists like Derrida, Foucault, and Deleuze challenge traditional philosophical structures and question established systems of thought, Laruelle's approach is distinct enough to place him outside the post-structuralist category.
### Key Differences:
1. **Relation to Philosophy**:
- **Post-structuralists** often deconstruct philosophical concepts and categories, exposing internal contradictions and exploring the instability of meaning. However, they typically do so within the philosophical tradition, even if they aim to subvert or radically reinterpret it.
- **Laruelle**, on the other hand, seeks to move beyond the philosophical tradition altogether with his concept of "non-philosophy." He doesn't just deconstruct or critique philosophical concepts but rather proposes an entirely different approach that suspends philosophy's claims to access or represent the Real. He views traditional philosophy, including post-structuralism, as still caught within a certain philosophical "decision" or framework that he aims to escape.
2. **Methodology**:
- **Post-structuralists** often engage in close readings of texts, playing with language, meaning, and the structures of discourse to reveal how power and knowledge operate. They emphasize the fluidity of identity, meaning, and reality.
- **Laruelle** employs what he calls "non-philosophy" or "non-standard philosophy," which involves thinking from the Real rather than about it. His method is less about deconstructing specific philosophical or linguistic structures and more about avoiding the imposition of any philosophical structure on the Real. He seeks to operate from a stance of radical immanence, where philosophy is seen as one form of thinking among many, not the privileged one.
3. **Conceptual Framework**:
- **Post-structuralists** are often concerned with power, discourse, and the instability of meaning, drawing on structuralism to show how these elements are constructed and deconstructed.
- **Laruelle's** framework, however, focuses on the idea of the "One" and the radical immanence of the Real. He critiques the very idea that philosophy can adequately represent or engage with the Real, proposing instead that thought should operate without the traditional philosophical pretensions.
### Conclusion:
While Laruelle shares with post-structuralists a skepticism toward traditional metaphysics and a desire to rethink the role of philosophy, his project is distinct in its radical departure from philosophical norms. He does not merely critique or deconstruct philosophy as post-structuralists do; he proposes a new way of thinking that lies outside of traditional philosophy altogether.
Therefore, it is more accurate to regard Laruelle as a thinker who stands apart from post-structuralism, offering an alternative that he calls "non-philosophy" rather than being part of the post-structuralist movement.
