Structure of Behavior -- Contemporary French Thought and Culture Translation Series

Author: (French) Merleau-Ponty, translated by Yang Da Chun, Zhang Yao Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-17
Features: French thought and culture have had a profound impact on the world. Descartes' rationalism, Montesquieu's legal philosophy, and Rousseau's political theory are important pillars in constructing Western modern thought and political culture. The doctrines of figures like Foucault, Derrida, and Deleuze laid the foundation for postmodern thought and political culture. Their innovative approaches have rejuvenated the human spirit and society. Our institution has always attached great importance to introducing Western learning, enlightening the masses, and translating French thought and cultural works. In 1906, we published Yan Fu's translation of Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws, setting a precedent. In 1918, we compiled and printed the Shangzhi Society Series, which included many such works. Since then, numerous new translations have emerged, and over a century of translations have grown into a grand collection, greatly benefiting the development of Chinese thought and culture. Our institution's past translations of French works focused on classics, mostly published as standalone volumes. To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of French thought and culture among scholars, we have now compiled this Translation Series of Contemporary French Thought and Culture, systematically translating the major works of contemporary French thinkers.
Regarding stance and viewpoints, we are not confined to a single school; any work that contributes to the development of thought and culture, whether modern or postmodern, is included. As for disciplinary fields, there are no restrictions—such as philosophy, political science, history, religious studies, sociology, and anthropology—all are welcome. We hope to receive strong support from the academic community to make this series increasingly perfect.
This book is another important work by the renowned French philosopher Merleau-Ponty. In it, he employs Husserlian phenomenology and incorporates the structural theory of Gestalt psychology to assign philosophical significance to form and structure. He argues that behavior is the behavior of a subject and that behavior expresses the eternal struggle between humans and nature and society. This is an important philosophical work with significant publishing value.