Speaking and Semiology: Maurice Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenological Theory of Existential Communication (Approaches to Semiotics [AS], 22)

This book addresses how core notions of information structure (topic, focus and contrast) are expressed in syntax.The authorspropose that the syntactic effects of information structure come about as a result of mapping rules that are flexible enough to allow topics and foci to be expressed in a variety of positions, but strict enough to capture certain cross-linguistic generalisations about their distribution. In particular, the papersargue that only contrastive topics and contrastive foci undergo movement and that this is because such movement has the function of marking the scope of contrast. Several predications are derived from this proposal: such as that a focus cannot move across a topic – whether the latter is in situ or not. Syntactic and semantic evidence in support of this proposal is presented from a wide range of languages (including Dutch, English, Japanese, Korean and Russian) and theoretical consequences explored. The first chapter not only outlines its theoretical aims, but also provides an introduction to information structure. As a consequence, the book is accessible to advanced students as well as professional linguists. Introduction I. Existential Communication as Phenomenology 1. Existential Communication 1.1. The Philosophical School of Paris 1.2. The Return to Phenomena 2. The Apparent Antinomy of Existential Communication 2.1. Phenomenalism 2.2. Phenomenology 3. Communication as Existentialism 3.1. Existence as Indirect Communication 3.2. Existence as Direct Communication 3.3. Existence as Authentic and In-authentic Communication 3.4. Existence as Primordial Communication 4. Merleau-Ponty’s Philosophy as Existential Phenomenology 4.1. Philosophy qua Philosophy 4.2. Merleau-Ponty’s Method 4.3. Gesture: Communicating the Existential Phenomena II. Existential Phenomenology as Semiology 1. The Cartesian Dualism: Semiotic Phenomenalism 1.1. The Semiology of Charles Sanders Peirce 1.2. The Semiology of Charles W. Morris 1.3. The Semiology of C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards 1.4. The Semiology of Bertrand Russell 2. Dualistic Synthesis: Semiotic Existentialism 2.1. The Semiology of Karl Jaspers 2.2. The Semiology of Martin Heidegger 2.3. The Semiology of Jean-Paul Sartre 3. Semiotic as Existential Phenomenology 3.1. Semiology as Problematic 3.2. The Semiology of Roland Barthes 3.3. The Semiology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty III. Perception: The Lived-Body Experience 1. The Primacy of Perception (Description) 1.1. Sensation 1.2. Intellection 1.3. Seeing 1.4. Other 1.5. Perception 1.6. Body 2. Radical Reflection as Gestalt 2.1. Epoché 2.2. Primordial Situation 2.3. Radical Gestalt 3. Radical Cogito 3.1. Pre-Conscious 3.2. Cogito 3.3. Intentionality IV. Expression: Existential Phenomenology as Speaking 1. Expression as Phenomena 2. Language 2.1. Silence 2.2. Chiasm 2.3. Film: A Semiotic Paradigm 3. Tongue 3.1. Literature 3.2. Myth 4. Speaking 4.1. The Speaking Subject 4.2. Speech: A Definition 4.3. Dialogue As Maieutic 4.4. Film : Maieutic Icon 4.5. Speaking As Maieutic V. Introduction to the Prose of the World Bibliography I. Primary Sources II. Secondary Sources III. Additional References Index