Nonsense and Sensation: Deleuze, Zhuangzi, and Aesthetics

This essay formulates a distinct aesthetic theory from Zhuangzi’s philosophy as interpreted through Deleuze’s concepts of nonsense and sensation. Nonsense is first characterized as “beyond good and evil,” a stance crucial for defending against suffering arising from what we interpret as tragic events. Yet nonsense is not limited to such concerns—it opens an aesthetic world by enabling us to see things as they are. Perception thus extends beyond surface appearances to apprehend underlying energies. The artist’s task is to render these insensible forces—experienced through sensation—sensible. These energies, once engaged or subsumed, serve to recharge and replenish our lives. Zhuangzi illustrates this linkage between nonsense and sensation, with Deleuze providing a productive analytic language. Their mutual resonance affirms a profound yet often overlooked connection.