Sense and life: Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of nature and evolutionary biology

Meacham, Darian Evan

Abstract

The article addresses Merleau-Ponty's later philosophy of nature in relation to two of its central operating concepts, behaviour and latency. It then examines some contemporary arguments for an extended evolutionary synthesis from the perspective of this philosophy of nature. I argue that Merleau-Ponty's philosophy of nature may provide a productive ontological grounding to the extended evolutionary synthesis.

Citation

Meacham, D. E. (2015). Sense and life: Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of nature and evolutionary biology

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 16, 2015
• Journal: Discipline Filosofiche
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 137-163
• Keywords: nature, evolution, behavior, latency, potential, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, philosophy of nature, philosophy of biology, Konrad Lorenz, J.S. Haldane, Helen Spurway, Georges Canguilhem, Edmund Husserl, instinct, niche construction, extended evolutionary synthe
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/843442
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1400/231129