On the structure and value of the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty

pp. 227-273

in: Edward Ballard, Philosophy and the liberal arts, Berlin, Springer, 1989

Abstract

Not many years ago interest directed by an American philosopher upon contemporary European philosophy was still slightly unusual. The more traditionalist minded scholars judged that philosophy to be tainted by a vicious subjectivism, and the Logical Positivists, their associates and successors thought it to be pretentious nonsense. Thus, it was not surprising that I, presumably a normally educated American of the nineteen forties and fifties, should have been repeatedly asked why I found contemporary European philosophy a rewarding study. The more or less unspoken intimation was that I should really be pursuing my education within the Anglo-American tradition. An attempt briefly to explain my choice of study will form an appropriate introduction to the essay to follow on the philosophy of a late European philosopher.