The phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty : a search for the limits of consciousness

Abstract

The first study of its kind to appear English, The Phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty is a sustained ontological reading of Merleau-Ponty which traces evolution of his philosophy of from his early work to his late, unfinished manuscripts and working notes. Merleau-Ponty, who contributed greatly to theoretical foundations of hermeneutics, is here approached hermeneutically. Most commentators are agreed that towards end Merleau-Ponty's philosophy underwent a strange and interesting mutation. The exact nature of this mutation or conceptual shift is what this study seeks to disclose. Thus, although Madison proceeds a generally progressive, chronological fashion, examining Merleau-Ponty's major works order of their composition, his reading is ultmately regressive that Merleau-Ponty's earlier works are viewed light of new and enigmatic ontological orientation which makes its appearance his later The merit of this approach is that, as Paul Ricoeur has remarked, it enables author to expose anticipatory, hollowed-out presence of Merleau-Ponty's late philosophy in difficulties of his early phenomenology, such that the unifying intention between his first philosophy of meaning and body and late, more ontological philosophy is made manifest. This begins with a detailed study of Merleau-Ponty's two major early works, The Structure of BehaviorThe Phenomenology of Perception. In following three chapters, Madison traces development of Merleau-Ponty's thought from beginning to end of his philosophical career regard to three topics of special concern to French phenomenologist: painting, language, philosophy. In final chapter, he is concerned to articulate, as much as unfinished state of Merleau-Ponty's final work allows, unspoken thought of this work and of The Visible and Invisible particular. Merleau-Ponty's notion of wild being and his attempt to work out an indirect or negative ontology are thoroughly analyzed. In end reader will see that through his self-criticism and development his own phenomenology Merleau-Ponty has brought phenomenology itself to its limits and to point where it must transcend itself as a philosophy of consciousness Husserlian sense if it is to remain faithful to Husserl's own goal of bringing experience to full expression of its own meaning. Because Madison submits Merleau-Ponty to same kind of interpretive retrieval as latter did with Husserl, Roger Cailloise has said of this clear and very complete book that it goes will beyond a simple exposition and merits read as an original work.

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