Vague and ambiguous philosophy -- A Biography of Merleau-Ponty

Author: (French) Robin Nei, translated by Song Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The French intellectual world of the 20th century was truly a gathering of talents and a brilliance of stars: from Bergson at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries to Sartre, Camus, and Merleau-Ponty (the "3H" generation, referring to Hegel, Heidegger, and Husserl) before and after World War II, from the "skeptical generation" of Foucault, Strauss, Dumézil, Lacan, and Roland Barthes, famous around the 1960s, to the late representatives of deconstructive thought like Derrida, Deleuze, and Lyotard, as well as the recent intellectual giants such as Barthes, Ricoeur, and Levinas, whose thoughts, experiences, and theoretical interests may differ greatly, they all inherited the French humanistic spirit tradition: they were so passionately concerned with the reality of humanity, with the fate and future of people, and sought the path to explain the age-old enigma of "humanity." Generations of thinkers and their historical and cultural context were closely intertwined; they were symbols of their respective eras. The "Biographical Dictionary of 20th-Century French Thinkers" series presents to readers the true records of the lives, thoughts, and experiences of these thinkers. Written by renowned writers, journalists, and critics, these biographies vividly portray the great thinkers and tell us how their profound yet charming ideas were formed and developed; they also reveal that in the turbulent, unpredictable yet always yearning for peace 20th century, there were still those who pursued things that seemed not "useful" yet were extremely noble. For this "useless" and "non-utilitarian" belief, they tirelessly explored, endured the hardships of their souls, and were willing to pay any price, leaving behind a precious spiritual wealth for human civilization. For those standing at the end of the 20th century, all this becomes even more significant. It must be understood that knowing these thinkers is of great "use" for truly understanding their ideas, for in-depth research and understanding of 20th-century Western thought, and for more profoundly reflecting on ourselves. This book provides a detailed exposition of the philosophical thought of French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, which greatly helps readers understand the formation and development of the ideas of this great 20th-century French philosopher.