On ideological and creative forces

Abstract

Literature on the relationship between creativity and ideology is comprised of two broad schools of thought: either creativity is the limit to ideology and vice-versa, or creativity is subordinate to ideological systems. These positions demonstrate that, paradoxically, to surpass an ideology one must create an alternative, but creativity can always be reincorporated into the dominant mode of politics. Thus, I draw on the work of Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault, and Catherine Malabou to reconceptualise ideology and address this paradox. I argue that ideological forces produce meaning by creatively returning to old systems of thought. Simultaneously, creative forces can only disrupt meaning if they are conditioned by the ideologies they depart from. This reconceptualization allows for a better understanding of ideologies as primarily adaptable systems of thought that avoid being transformed by events and creatively re-enforce particular ways to practice politics.