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Depth as Nemesis
Merleau-Ponty's concept of depth in phenomenology of perception, art and politics
pp. 255-281
Abstract
The concept of depth is central to Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology and informed not only his philosophy of perception but also his thinking about psychology, art and politics. This article traces the ways the notion of depth appears in Merleau-Ponty’s thinking in these fields, contrasting it with Husserl’s own phenomenological investigations. The article starts with a comparison of the function of perception in Husserl’s phenomenology and then proceeds with an analysis of how the issue of depth reappears in Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology of perception, phenomenology of art and political philosophy. I argue that while Husserl’s approach to phenomenology led him to analyses of aesthetics stemming from works of art as random examples, and to non-participation in politics, Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology leads to the opposite approach, inviting concrete criticism in art and active participation in politics. It is argued that Merleau-Ponty’s approach is more philosophically consistent. The choice of particular works of art, and the particular political engagements, can retrospectively clarify the transcendental phenomenological investigations themselves.
Publication details
Published in:
(2021) Human Studies 44 (2).
Pages: 255-281
DOI: 10.1007/s10746-021-09574-7
Full citation:
Lipták Michal (2021) „Depth as Nemesis: Merleau-Ponty's concept of depth in phenomenology of perception, art and politics“. Human Studies 44 (2), 255–281.