Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Merleau-Ponty and Phenomenology of Perception

by Komarine Romdenh-Romluc

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908 – 1961) is hailed as one of the key philosophers of the twentieth century. Phenomenology of Perception is his most famous and influential work, and an essential text for anyone seeking to understand phenomenology. In this GuideBook Komarine Romdenh-Romluc introduces and assesses:

- Merleau-Ponty’s life and the background to his philosophy
- the key themes and arguments of Phenomenology of Perception
- the continuing importance of Merleau-Ponty’s work to philosophy.

Merleau-Ponty and Phenomenology of Perception is an ideal starting point for anyone coming to his great work for the first time. It is essential reading for students of Merleau-Ponty, phenomenology and related subjects in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Genres: Philosophy

Paperback

First published August 3, 2010

Reviews

[Campbell Rider]

this guidebook series is usually very good, and this book is really clear and makes Merleau-Ponty's text digestible. But it tends to oversimplify a bit, and there are entire sections it doesn't discuss. I also think it leans a bit too far towards the reading of MP that sees him foremost as a philosophical ancestor of modern neuroscience. A good commentary, but less effective than Taylor Carman's routledge book imo

[Taka · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK—

One thing is true: the book is crystal clear on what the author thinks Merleau-Ponty is saying in his Phenomenology of Perception. But the downside of this book is that it does NOTHING whatsoever beyond elucidation, and in a style whose clarity is a product of clunky functional prose that lacks depth or elegance and abounds in repetitive and almost mechanistic reiterations. To get the flavor, just read the introductory biography of MP, which covers his entire life in 2.5 pages and reads like a summary written by a robot: just a list of accomplishments without presenting anything else. As a guidebook, it probably does the job admirably, but as someone who wants more than functional elucidation in a dry and repetitive style, this book will prove wanting.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful guide to an otherwise very challenging if not impenetrable tract. Clear writing style and structure.

[David Markwell]

Often these guides really help with understanding the source text that they are about, but this one falls short of that. I find Merleau-Ponty's text to be much clearer and better written than this.