Flesh and Nature: Understanding Merleau-Ponty's Relational Ontology
Document Type
Article - Merrimack Access Only
Publication Title
Research in Phenomenology
Publication Date
2011
Abstract/ Summary
In this paper I attempt to develop several ways Merleau-Ponty's ontology might contribute to an environmental ethic through a redefinition of his concept of flesh in terms of a general theory of affectivity. Currently accepted interpretations of the concept such as those in Abram, Toadvine, Barbaras, and Dastur rely upon conceiving flesh as a perceptual experience. I contest this interpretation and argue that a more productive conception of flesh emerges when understood in terms of Heidegger's philosophy. The paper concludes with a consideration of the normative significance of flesh by examining the role of 'wildness' within a place-based ethic.
Repository Citation
Bannon, B.
(2011). Flesh and Nature: Understanding Merleau-Ponty's Relational Ontology. Research in Phenomenology, 41(3), 327-357.
Available at: https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/phl_facpub/2