The Philosophy of Ontological Lateness: Merleau-Ponty and the Tasks of Thinking

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Addressing Merleau-Pontys work Phenomenology of Perception, in dialogue with The Visible and the Invisible, his lectures at the Collge de France, and his reading of Proust, this book argues that at play in his thought is a philosophy of ontological lateness. This describes the manner in which philosophical reflection is fated to lag behind its objects; therefore an absolute grasp on being remains beyond its reach. Merleau-Ponty articulates this philosophy against the backdrop of what he calls cruel thought, a style of reflecting that seeks resolution by limiting, circumscribing, and arresting its object. By contrast, the philosophy of ontological lateness seeks no such finalityno apocalypsis or unveilingbut is characterized by its ability to accept the veiling of being and its own constitutive lack of punctuality. To this extent, his thinking inaugurates a new relation to the becoming of sense that overcomes cruel thought. Merleau-Pontys work gives voice to a wisdom of dispossession that allows for the withdrawal of being. Never before has anyone engaged with the theme of Merleau-Pontys own understanding of philosophy in such a sustained way as Whitmoyer does in this volume.

Reviews

[Whitmoyer's] reading of Merleau-Ponty is accurate and deep, but what makes it original is its tone ... [His] reading of Merleau-Pontys texts ... is reliable and often deep and insightful. * Phenomenological Reviews *
Whitmoyer has an interesting and original take on Merleau-Ponty's conception of phenomenology. He is particularly illuminating on the difficult later works. -- Eric Matthews, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Aberdeen, UK
The Philosophy of Ontological Lateness offers a sustained consideration of the paradoxical matrix of anxiety and desire that shaped Merleau-Pontys metaphilosophical temperament as profoundly retard. Embracing this belatedness by turns systematic and lyrical, Whitmoyer interlaces his reading of Merleau-Ponty with an evocative meditation on the precarious contingency of human finitude and the consequent need to come to terms with love and faith as essential conditions of any viable conception of philosophical reason. -- Bryan Smyth, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, University of Mississippi, USA

Author Bio

Keith Whitmoyer is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Pace University, the School of Visual Arts, and the New York City College of Technology, USA.