Deleuzian Rhizome on UK IGF 2023 London — Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy

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 UK IGF 2023 London 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. UK IGF's multistakeholder structure experiments with the transition from arborescent to rhizomatic order.

This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of UK 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 London arborescently within themselves but rhizomatically in IGF's space. UK'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 (UK 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 2023 conference. We examine that application below.

1. Application to "オンライン安全法"

Discussion of "オンライン安全法" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a central problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around オンライン安全法 are particularly at stake.

2. Application to "AIサミット連携"

Discussion of "AIサミット連携" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a derivative problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AIサミット連携 are particularly at stake.

3. Application to "選挙"

Discussion of "選挙" can be positioned, from the perspective of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's Rhizome vs. arborescent hierarchy, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 選挙 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 UK'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 UK'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 UK.

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.

1. Verification of the applicability of Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari's framework to other IGF conferences
2. Comparative contrast between Post-structuralism / Philosophy of Difference and other theoretical traditions
3. Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of UK

In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.

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Primary Sources

• IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of UK IGF.
• UK IGF 2023 London Conference Materials.
• 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)

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*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10月9日 14時23分（記事コンテンツアップ）

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