The Primal Scream: Re-Reading the “Temporality” Chapter of Phenomenology of Perception in the Context of Negative Philosophy
Keith Whitmoyer
Philosophies January 18, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/philosophies10010012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that Merleau-Ponty's theory of negation deserves more attention and proposes a theory of 'integration' and 'disintegration' of temporal passage, developed through a re-reading of the 'Temporality' chapter of Phenomenology of Perception in dialogue with later writings. This theory, the author contends, replaces a dialectic of pure being and nothingness and organizes themes including sense-genesis and the 'scream of light'. |
Abstract
Merleau-Ponty’s specific theory of negation has received surprisingly little attention within the literature. Given his engagement with Sartre, not to mention Hegel and Marx, one would think that this concept and its surrounding issues and problems would occupy a more central place within various readings and interpretations. This essay attempts to give some indications of how to think about a Merleau-Pontian theory of negativity specifically. By re-reading the “Temporality” chapter from Phenomenology of Perception in dialogue with later writings and lectures, I propose a theory of “integration” and “disintegration” of temporal passage in place of a dialectic of pure being and nothingness. This theory organizes various themes in Merleau-Ponty’s work, including sense-genesis and his references to the “scream of light”.
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