ABSTRACT
Merleau-Ponty was a pivotal figure in twentieth century French philosophy. He was responsible for bringing the phenomenological methods of the German philosophers - Husserl and Heidegger - to France and instigated a new wave of interest in this approach. His influence extended well beyond the boundaries of philosophy and can be seen in theories of politics, psychology, art and language.
This is the first volume to bring together a comprehensive selection of Merleau-Ponty's writing.
Sections from the following are included:
The Primacy of Perception
The Structure of Behaviour
The Phenomenology of Perception
The Prose of the World
The Visible and the Invisible
Sense and Non-Sense
The Adventures of the Dialectic
In a substantial critical introduction Thomas Baldwin provides a critical discussion of the main themes of Merleau-Ponty's philosophy, connecting it to subsequent philosophical debates and setting it in the context of the ideas of Bergson, Husserl, Heidegger and Sartre. Each text is also prefaced with an explanation which sets it in its context in Merleau-Ponty's work; and there are extensive suggestions for further reading to enable students to pursue the issues raised by Merleau-Ponty. Thus the book provides the ideal materials for students studying Merleau-Ponty for the first time.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |32 pages
Editor's Introduction
part One|10 pages
Merleau-Ponty's Prospectus of his Work
part Two|19 pages
Selections from the Structure of Behavior
part Three|172 pages
Selections from the Phenomenology of Perception
chapter I|47 pages
The Body
chapter II|40 pages
The World as Perceived
chapter III|68 pages
Being-for-Itself and Being-in-the-World
part Four|13 pages
Selection from the Prose of the World
part Five|25 pages
Selection from the Visible and the Invisible
part Six|53 pages
Painting
part Seven|21 pages
History