Body as Origin: Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Intentionality
Dissertation, Duquesne University (
1996)
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Abstract
Due to the untimely death of Maurice Merleau-Ponty there are a variety of interpretations concerning the final phase of his philosophy. Some suggest that he deviated from his original goal and did not fully elucidate his new direction; they claim that he left many clues to justify his new direction and his new emphasis in philosophy. ;This study is an attempt to disprove such claims. I argue that Merleau-Ponty did not abandon his original emphasis on the body and yield to a completely new emphasis on the concept of Being. The concept of body remains the major emphasis throughout his philosophical career and body remains the origin of meaning throughout his works. ;This work interprets Merleau-Ponty to suggest that sexuality is the main factor that unifies the body. It is through this unification that the body achieves its goal--the origin of meaning