Introduction

Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Ludwig Wittgenstein are two of the most important writers in twentieth century, Western philosophy. Merleau-Ponty is a leading figure in the phenomenological movement. Whilst there has been sustained interest in his work since his untimely death, it has undergone something of a renaissance over the past few years, as theorists from diverse philosophical backgrounds, and from a variety of different disciplines, appeal to it as a rich source of ideas that can help illuminate many contemporary debates. Wittgenstein and Merleau-Ponty both criticize Wolfgang Kohler's descriptions of Gestalt phenomena. On the face of it, this is for very different reasons. Wittgenstein argues that ambiguous figures that can be seen in more than one way, such as the duck-rabbit, constitute a paradox. There are some interesting resonances between the particular ideas they each marshal to make their respective cases against aspects of Kohler's thought.