The Merleau-Ponty Dictionary - (Continuum Philosophy Dictionaries) by Donald A Landes (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) is one of the central figures of 20th-century Continental philosophy, and his work has been hugely influential in a wide range of fields. His writings engage in the study of perception, language, politics, aesthetics, history and ontology, and represent a rich and complex network of exciting ideas.

The Merleau-Ponty Dictionary provides the reader and student of Merleau-Ponty with all the tools necessary to engage with this key thinker: a comprehensive A to Z that provides summaries of all his major texts and articles, clear and straightforward explanations of his terminology and innovative concepts, and detailed discussions of the figures and philosophies that influenced his work. The book also includes a philosophical introduction, a chronology of Merleau-Ponty's life and works, and suggestions for further reading. This dictionary is the ideal reading and research companion for students at all levels.

Review Quotes

A richly enabling resource. The Merleau-Ponty Dictionary offers a chronology of Merleau-Ponty's life and works, synopses of his texts, and entries on key concepts, technical terms and historical influences. Pithy, insightful and nuanced, the entries in the dictionary provide an intelligent orientation to Merleau-Ponty's work, and diverse resources for thinking one's way further into the issues at play.

From the bright undergraduate first-time reader of Merleau-Ponty to the seasoned graduate student and senior scholar, all will find valuable discoveries in this clear, concise, and comprehensive dictionary. Landes has given us a lucid biography, bibliography, and A-Z account of Merleau-Ponty's philosophical and psychological vocabulary and the vocabulary of phenomenology itself, as well as insightful analyses of Merleau-Ponty's key texts. This handbook will find its place in my Merleau-Ponty seminars.

One of our best Merleau-Ponty scholars, Don Landes has written an invaluable book. The Merleau-Ponty Dictionary provides concise definitions and insightful elaborations of virtually all of Merleau-Ponty's thematic and operative terms. It also provides useful summaries of Merleau-Ponty's most important books and articles. The Merleau-Ponty Dictionary is essential reading for anyone working on Merleau-Ponty today.

About the Author

Donald A. Landes is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Concordia University, Montréal, Quèbec, Canada. He is translator of Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception (2012) and author of Merleau-Ponty and the Paradoxes of Expression (2013).