Spinoza and Bergson Through and Beyond Deleuze: Freedom as Undissociated Joy
Philosophies June 29, 2026 John Robert Bagby
This philosophical analysis examines how Deleuze, Spinoza, and Bergson each affirm a form of metaphysical incompatibilism regarding freedom. The author argues that Spinoza and Bergson remain incompatible despite Deleuze's attempts to synthesize them, and that all three thinkers treat the coexistence of incompatible elements—such as necessity and freedom—as constitutive of life, consciousness, and freedom. Deleuze's radical pluralism rejects reconciliation in favor of an expanding multiplicity of incompatibilities. The author highlights overlooked parallels between Spinoza and Bergson, notably a shared moral notion of freedom expressed as intellectual generosity or "undissociated joy," and proposes Jean-Marie Guyau as an alternative link to Bergsonism through his spiritualist Spinozism.