This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Post-structuralism / Philosophy of Difference — most prominently associated with Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari — to re-read the Portugal IGF 2022 Lisbon conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Deleuze & Guattari's rhizome concept in A Thousand Plateaus rethinks organization as multi-directional connections without center or hierarchy. Portugal IGF's multistakeholder structure experiments with the transition from arborescent to rhizomatic order.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Portugal IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
The possibility of rhizomatic governance
Governments, civil society, technical community, and the private sector intersect at Lisbon arborescently within themselves but rhizomatically in IGF's space. Portugal's very participation temporarily deterritorializes the arborescent territory of the nation-state.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari-type problematic.
The national-level IGF (Portugal IGF) is an attempt to redefine the modern category of the nation-state in the digital era.
Deterritorialization and reterritorialization
Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2022 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "AI"
Discussion of "AI" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a central problematic. In Portugal's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "接続性"
Discussion of "接続性" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a derivative problematic. In Portugal's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 接続性 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "若者"
Discussion of "若者" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Portugal's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "国内法整備"
Discussion of "国内法整備" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Portugal's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 国内法整備 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "政府＋民間協働"
Discussion of "政府＋民間協働" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Portugal's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 政府＋民間協働 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Portugal.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Post-structuralism / Philosophy of Difference and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Portugal
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of Portugal IGF.
- Portugal IGF 2022 Lisbon Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari (representative texts of Post-structuralism / Philosophy of Difference)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
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第1稿投稿 2026年6月4日 13時32分（記事コンテンツアップ）
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