Routledge Merleau-Ponty: Key Concepts

Having initially not had the attention of Sartre or Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty's work is arguably now more widely influential than either of his two contemporaries. "Merleau-Ponty: Key Concepts" presents an accessible guide to the core ideas which structure Merleau-Ponty's thinking as well as to his influences and the value of his ideas to a wide range of disciplines. The first section of the book presents the context of Merleau-Ponty's thinking, the major debates of his time, particularly existentialism, phenomenology, the history of philosophy and the philosophy of history and society. The second section outlines his major contributions and conceptual innovations. The final section focuses upon how his work has been taken up in other fields besides philosophy, notably in sociology, cognitive science, health studies, feminism and race theory. Review "A fine introductory work. . .would serve well as an accompanying textbook in philosophy courses or as a guide for scholars unfamiliar with Merleau-Ponty wishing for a brief, clear, and comprehensive introduction." --Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "An impressive collection of essays by some of the most influential authors on this key philosopher. The editors have done an excellent job in their choice of essays for inclusion, and have ensured a level of writing that allows for comprehension by those without extensive academic training. . . An excellent introductory work that will serve anyone who is a novice in the study of Merleau-Ponty as a solid core text. For anyone interested in the work of Merleau-Ponty, it will serve as a springboard and inspiration for more detailed investigations. This is a book to be highly recommended" --Metapsychology "Gathering together some of the best writers on Merleau-Ponty to elaborate the most important and central topics of his thinking, this is an impressive volume, truly impressive. All of the essays are clear and rigorous and the themed sections very helpful for readers." --Leonard Lawlor, University of Memphis About the Author Rosalyn Diprose is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales. Jack Reynolds is Lecturer in Philosophy at La Trobe University.