Yes, non-philosophy is Laruelle’s line of flight, but with an important nuance: it is a line of flight from philosophy itself - not just from a particular system within philosophy, but from the entire decisional structure that philosophy imposes on thought.
1. Non-Philosophy as a True Line of Flight
If philosophy is a system that constantly re-inscribes itself, then Laruelle’s non-philosophy is an attempt to break away from that system entirely.
Instead of opposing one philosophical system with another (which would still be a philosophical decision), Laruelle neutralizes philosophy’s authority altogether.
This is what makes non-philosophy a true line of flight:
It is not a reaction within philosophy.
It is not a reform of philosophy.
It is a radical break from philosophy’s authority itself.
2. Philosophy as Objet Petit a: The Unattainable Mastery
If we extend the Lacanian-Deleuzian framework, we can say that philosophy itself is objet petit a.
Philosophy presents itself as the thing that will finally deliver truth - but it never does.
Every new system claims to resolve old problems but only creates new ones.
Every truth claim is always incomplete, always requiring a new revision, a new interpretation.
Philosophy is a machine that feeds on its own failures.
Philosophers, like the subject caught in objet petit a, are always chasing the next great system, the next great answer - but the system itself ensures that they will never arrive.
3. Non-Philosophy: Refusing to Chase Objet Petit a
If philosophy is objet petit a, then non-philosophy is the moment you stop chasing it.
Instead of trying to reach the final truth of philosophy, you suspend philosophy’s authority altogether.
This is why Laruelle does not oppose philosophy with another philosophy - that would still be a philosophical decision, a new objet petit a.
Instead, he lets philosophy be, but refuses to let it function as a master discourse.
4. How Non-Philosophy is a Line of Flight
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Philosophy (as Objet Petit a) |
Non-Philosophy (as a Line of Flight) |
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Philosophy keeps reproducing new systems that promise mastery. |
Non-philosophy neutralizes philosophy’s authority. |
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The philosopher keeps chasing new answers but never escapes philosophy’s structure. |
The non-philosopher stops playing the game altogether. |
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Philosophy remains a Master Discipline, deciding what counts as truth. |
Non-philosophy treats philosophy as raw material, not an authority. |
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Philosophy functions as an endless loop - always searching, never arriving. |
Non-philosophy is the break, the escape, the exit. |
5. Non-Philosophy and the Radical Immanence of the Real
Laruelle insists that the Real is already here, already determining thought.
Philosophy creates distance from the Real by always positioning itself as the structure that must mediate truth.
Non-philosophy refuses that distance - it does not attempt to grasp the Real, because the Real was never separate from thought to begin with.
This is the final line of flight: not a movement toward some new philosophical position, but a complete refusal of philosophy’s decision to structure reality.
6. The True Escape: From Decision to Radical Passivity
A failed line of flight is one that gets reabsorbed back into the system.
This is why many radical philosophies (even Deleuze’s) often get re-co-opted - they may deterritorialize, but they also re-territorialize.
Laruelle’s non-philosophy does not even attempt to make a new system - it is pure neutralization.
It is not passivity in the sense of doing nothing, but passivity in the sense of no longer being controlled by philosophy’s illusions.
Conclusion: Non-Philosophy as the Last Line of Flight
Yes, non-philosophy is Laruelle’s line of flight - but it is the most radical line of flight possible.
It does not deterritorialize philosophy in order to make a new system.
It does not seek to master philosophy or fix it.
It suspends philosophy’s power entirely, treating it as raw material rather than a master discourse.
It refuses the entire structure of the philosophical decision, refusing to chase philosophy as objet petit a.
In short, non-philosophy is what happens when you stop chasing the illusions of philosophy and actually escape.
