Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers (volume I)
basic [book:Maurice Merleau-Ponty: Basic Writings|203362]
290813: this is Volume 1...
this is a great selection of essays exploring meleau-ponty, while [book:The Little Book Of Philosophy|528051] by-andre-comte-sponville can demonstrate the pleasure of philosophical thinking at the most originary level, this shows the pleasure of collaboration, argument, critique, of being amongst fellow thinkers...
at first, there may seem to be too much bio, too much remembrance of the man, but this is almost a life history and who can determine what details, themes, styles, encounters and disputes, may be significant. but quickly this bio clears a space of understanding the man and his thought. there is extensive writing from sartre that suggest how the two interacted and how they quarrelled, all motivated by passionate commitment of thoughts and the political rupture never healed perhaps mostly by m-p's early death...
and everybody is here: de beauvoir defending sartre, sartre recounting first friendship then political break, ricouer here, lefort there, how m-p incorporated or not heidegger, m-p's lifelong fascination and ongoing explication of husserl- if there is now anyone I want to understand more it is husserl- and if there is anything better than that a work inspires you to read more work, i do not know it...
and though over 400 pages, this is only volume 1 of the entirety of Merleau-Ponty: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers...
well, now I am rereading Merleau-Ponty: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers (volume II)…