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 Global Youth IGF 2020 Virtual 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. Global Youth IGF's multistakeholder structure experiments with the transition from arborescent to rhizomatic order.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Global Youth 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 Virtual arborescently within themselves but rhizomatically in IGF's space. Global'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 Youth IGF practically raises the philosophical problematic of intergenerational justice.
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 2020 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "若者参画"
Discussion of "若者参画" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a central problematic. In Global's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者参画 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "COVID-19×教育"
Discussion of "COVID-19×教育" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a derivative problematic. In Global's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around COVID-19×教育 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "オンライン安全"
Discussion of "オンライン安全" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Global's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around オンライン安全 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "若者育成"
Discussion of "若者育成" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Global's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者育成 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "メンタルヘルス"
Discussion of "メンタルヘルス" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Global's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around メンタルヘルス 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 Global.
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 Global
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 Global Youth IGF.
- Global Youth IGF 2020 Virtual 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.*
更新履歴
第1稿投稿 2026年7月13日 10時54分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
