Guattari’s distinction between machines and structures, particularly in his work on schizoanalysis and his collaboration with Deleuze, reflects his effort to rethink systems, processes, and creativity. This distinction highlights the dynamic and transformative nature of machines as opposed to the static, rule-governed nature of structures. Let’s explore why Guattari posits this difference:
1. Structure: Repetition of the Same
• Structures refer to fixed, formal systems that organize elements in a way that reproduces identity and stability. These systems are associated with the symbolic and static representations of language, culture, and society.
• Examples include linguistic structures (in Saussurean linguistics) or social norms. In such systems:
• Elements repeat according to pre-determined rules.
• The repetition is cyclical and reinforces sameness.
• Structures prioritize equilibrium and coherence, seeking to maintain a fixed state of organization.
Guattari critiques this static model because it limits the potential for creativity and transformation, imposing rigid constraints on processes of becoming.
2. Machines: Repetition with Difference
• In contrast, machines for Guattari are dynamic systems of production, interaction, and transformation. They do not operate according to fixed rules but rather involve ongoing processes that generate novelty.
• Machines are not just mechanical devices; they include assemblages of human, social, technical, and natural elements. For example, a conversation, an ecosystem, or an artistic practice can be seen as a machine.
• In a machine:
• Repetition is productive and creative because it introduces variation.
• Each repetition is not a mere copy but involves a difference, a modulation, or an evolution of the system itself.
• Machines are inherently open and incomplete, constantly interfacing with other systems, creating feedback loops, and generating new potentials.
3. Difference as a Principle of Becoming
• The idea of repetition with difference draws from Deleuze’s philosophy, where difference is not secondary to identity but is primary and constitutive. For Guattari, machines embody this principle because they are sites of ongoing experimentation and transformation.
• This is why Guattari links machines to creativity and invention: they resist the static constraints of structure and instead enable new forms of life, thought, and action to emerge.
4. Examples in Practice
• Structure: A traditional classroom with a fixed curriculum reproduces the same content in a predictable way, maintaining the structure of institutionalized education.
• Machine: A collaborative, open-ended learning environment where students and teachers co-create knowledge operates as a machine—it introduces variation and allows new ideas and relations to emerge.
5. Implications for Schizoanalysis
• Guattari’s focus on machines aligns with his interest in processes of subjectivation and the liberation of desire. By privileging machines over structures, he shifts attention to how systems can evolve and transform, breaking free from the constraints of fixed identities or representations.
In short, structures stabilize and replicate the same, while machines destabilize, experiment, and produce novelty. This distinction underscores Guattari’s emphasis on creativity, dynamism, and the potential for radical transformation in systems of thought and action.
