Merleau-Ponty

Description

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908–61) was one of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century. His theories of perception and the role of the body have had an enormous impact on the humanities and social sciences, yet the full scope of his contribution not only to ­phenomenology but also philosophy generally is only now ­being fully recognized. In this lucid and comprehensive introduction,Taylor ­Carman explains and assesses the full range of Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy. Beginning with an overview of Merleau-Ponty’s life and work, ­subsequent chapters cover fundamental aspects of Merleau­Ponty’s thought, including his philosophy of perception and intentionality; the role of the body in perception; freedom and our relation to others; history and culture; and art, particularly the paintings of Cézanne. A final chapter considers Merleau-Ponty’s ­importance ­today, examining his philosophy in light of recent developments in philosophy of mind and cognitive science. This second edition makes use of the new translation of Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception, his most important work, highlighting its critique of “objective thought” and the account of constrained freedom that Merleau-Ponty advanced as a foil to Sartre’s notion of radical choice. Including annotated further reading and a glossary of key terms, Merleau-Ponty, Second Edition is essential reading for students of phenomenology, existentialism, and twentieth-century philosophy. It is also ideal for anyone in the humanities and social sciences seeking an introduction to Merleau-Ponty’s work. Taylor Carman is Professor of Philosophy at Barnard College, ­Columbia University, USA. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chronology Introduction One: Life and works What is perception? The view from somewhere Objective thought Formative influences Language, painting, and politics Two: Intentionality and perception What is intentionality? The phenomenological reductions What perception is not The phenomenal field Molyneux’s problem Three: Body and world What the body is not The bodily point of view The body schema Motor intentionality Flesh and chiasm Four: Others and freedom The (non)problem of other minds Sartre and “the look” Empathy and solipsism Radical freedom Thrown freedom Five: Vision and style The depth of the visible The language of art Cézanne and his world Six: History and politics Perception of history Liquidation of the dialectic Seven: Legacy and relevance Structuralism and the habitus Behaviorism, cognitivism, and artificial intelligence Embodied cognition, extended mind, enactivism Glossary Further Reading Bibliography Index