Being and flesh in Merleau-Ponty’s work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2023.v23n3.p05-35Keywords:
Merleau-Ponty, flesh, being, perception, ontologyAbstract
In his own words, Merleau-Ponty is calling for a “philosophy of the flesh” and a “new ontology”. These are not different projects, but are part of the same gesture. This does not mean, however, that the two expressions overlap perfectly, and still less that flesh and being form a single concept. The aim of this article is precisely to shed light on the meanings and stakes of the flesh, of being, and of their relationship, as Merleau-Ponty presents these concepts. Before reviewing the critical genesis of his conception of the flesh, it is necessary to return to the term itself and its meanings in the French language, and then to dispel certain misunderstandings still common regarding the meaning of the flesh in Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy. These are all necessary preconditions to any interrogation of the status of ontology in Merleau-Ponty’s work and the originality of his conception of being, and then of addressing some of the salient features of the relationship the philosopher sketches between being and flesh.
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