Merleau-Ponty's Philosophy of Nature (Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy)

In our time, Ted Toadvine observes, the philosophical question of nature is almost entirely forgotten--obscured in part by a myopic focus on solving "environmental problems" without asking how these problems are framed. But an "environmental crisis," existing as it does in the human world of value and significance, is at heart a philosophical crisis. In this book, Toadvine demonstrates how Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology has a special power to address such a crisis—a philosophical power far better suited to the questions than other modern approaches, with their over-reliance on assumptions drawn from the natural sciences. The book examines key moments in the development of Merleau-Ponty's philosophy of nature while roughly following the historical sequence of his major works. Toadvine begins by setting out an ontology of nature proposed in Merleau-Ponty's first book, The Structure of Behavior. He takes up the theme of the expressive role of reflection in Phenomenology of Perception, as it negotiates the area between nature's own "self-unfolding" and human subjectivity. Merleau-Ponty's notion of "intertwining" and his account of space provide a transition to Toadvine's study of the philosopher's later work—in which the concept of "chiasm," the crossing or intertwining of sense and the sensible, forms the key to Merleau-Ponty's mature ontology—and ultimately to the relationship between humans and nature. Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 List of Abbreviations 12 Introduction: Renewing the Philosophy of Nature 16 1 Nature as Gestalt and Melody 34 2 Radical Reflection and the Resistance of Things 63 3 Animality 89 4 The Space of Intentionality and the Orientation of Being 110 5 The Human–Nature Chiasm 120 Conclusion 144 Notes 150 Works Cited 172 Index 182 About the Author 188 Examines key moments in the development of Merleau-Ponty's philosophy of nature while roughly following the historical sequence of his major works. This book discusses the role of reflection in Phenomenology of Perception, as it negotiates the area between nature's own 'self-unfolding' and human subjectivity. Nature As Gestalt And Melody -- Radical Reflection And The Resistance Of Things -- Animality -- The Space Of Intentionality And The Orientation Of Being -- The Human-nature Chiasm. Ted Toadvine. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.