Pressestimmen
'Merleau-Ponty was one of the most substantial French philosophers of the twentieth century.' - Times Literary Supplement
Kurzbeschreibung
Challenging and rewarding in equal measure, Phenomenology of Perception is Merleau-Ponty's most famous work. Impressive in both scope and imagination, it uses the example of perception to return the body to the forefront of philosophy for the first time since Plato. Drawing on case studies such as brain-damaged patients from the First World War, Merleau-Ponty brilliantly shows how the body plays a crucial role not only in perception but in speech, sexuality and our relation to others.
Synopsis
Together with Sartre, Merleau-Ponty was the foremost French philosopher of the post-war period and "Phenomenology of Perception", first published in 1945, is his masterpiece. What makes this work so important is that it returned the body to the forefront of philosophy for the first time since Plato. For Merleau-Ponty perception was always embodied - changes in our bodies lead to changes in our perceptions - and played a key role in speech, sexuality and relations with others. His influence has increased with time, as cognitive scientists struggle to build "intelligent machines" - is it possible?
