Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology: The Problem of Ideal Objects

by Kirk M. Besmer

Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology reconstructs Merleau-Ponty's treatment of the problem of ideal objects. Besmer describes Merleau-Ponty's early attempt to found ideal objects on pre-linguistic, perceptual experience and shows that Merleau-Ponty ultimately came to see the shortcomings of this initial view. An examination of often ignored writings from the middle-period of Merleau-Ponty's career allows Besmer to piece together Merleau-Ponty's mature view of ideal objects, one that does not overlook the contributions of perception but emphasizes the historical and cultural nature of ideal objects and one's experience of them. Merleau-Ponty's final view of ideal objects takes ideal meanings in language as paradigmatic and understands ideal objects as embedded in cultural practices and institutions.

Kirk Besmer's book is the first ever to be devoted to the problem of ideal objects in Merleau-Ponty's thought. Showing for the first time the crucial conceptual developments and revisions internal to Merleau-Ponty's thought, Besmer's book will change the way that Merleau-Ponty is read.

Genres: Philosophy

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2008

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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241111: this is a new favorite that probably only works if you have read some merleau-ponty and on m-p. this is not introductory, certainly not where to begin. that said: i love this work. the evolution of ideal objects moves from husserl, from doubts whether natural language could conceptualize phenomenological, pre-predicative, primordial experience and ideas, to a greater understanding of the inter-world similar to liebenswelt, to recognition of role of the body and gesture in communication, to description of how language forms itself, from founding/founded to institution, how new expression is possible, how thoughts of genesis of language extends from intra to inter, from phenomenology to social, historical sediment and shared world and being essence… yes, there is a lot to read and think of here...

so i like m-p. do i understand him? well i am eagerly heading in that direction. this is a great step particularly because it shows path from early m-p to late m-p, from phenomenology of perception to the visible and the invisible- what he was working on when he died- through his, apparently little examined, middle period. i might actually try the visible and the invisible. at least, i might read this again...