Phnomnologie de la Perception

Maurice Merleau-Ponty
PROPOSAL FOR A NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Sean Dorrance Kelly Department of Philo ophy! "#$% Hall Princeton! N& '#())*"''+ ,+'%- .(#*).%" / fa0 ,+'%- .(#*"('. 1elly2princeton3e45 Proposal 6a5rice 6erlea5*Ponty ,"%'#*"%+"- may 7ell pro8e to ha8e 9een the mo t important French philo opher of the t7entieth cent5ry3 In .''# 7e 7ill cele9rate the "''th anni8er ary of hi 9irth3 Gi8en 6erlea5*Ponty: central po ition in the French philo ophy of the la t cent5ry! an4 hi increa in; importance to contemporary 7or1 in An;lo*American philo ophy! I propo e to honor hi centenary 9y p59li hin; a ne7 En;li h tran lation of 6erlea5*Ponty: ma;n5m op5 ! Phnomnologie de la Perception3 E8en to4ay 6erlea5*Ponty i pro9a9ly not the mo t 7ell*1no7n French philo opher of the t7entieth cent5ry3 In the En;li h pea1in; 7orl4 fi;5re 5ch a Fo5ca5lt! Derri4a! Sartre! an4 e8en <er; on pro9a9ly en=oy ;reater name reco;nition3 An4 yet it i 6erlea5*Ponty: 7or1! an4 not that of hi more 7ell*1no7n contemporarie ! that i 9e;innin; to ha8e a real infl5ence in An;lo*American philo ophy3 It i rea4 an4 ta1en e0tremely erio5 ly 9y philo opher of min4! philo opher of perception! an4 philo opher of art! not to mention 9y co;niti8e ne5ro cienti t an4 art hi torian ! amon; other 3 An4 it i rea4 not merely for it hi torical intere t 95t for the contri95tion it can ma1e to philo ophical i 5e of contemporary concern3 F5rthermore! 6erlea5*Ponty: 4etaile4 4i c5 ion of cla ical empirical 7or1 in p ycholo;y enli8en rather than tri8iali>e the philo ophical import of hi analy e 3 In hort! 6erlea5*Ponty: importance to an4 infl5ence amon; contemporary philo opher cannot 9e o8ere timate43 An4 o5t of the 9roa4 array of hi 7or1 there i no 4o59t that Phnomnologie de la Perception i the canonical te0t3 The ori;inal French e4ition of PP 7a p59li he4 in "%)(? the only En;li h tran lation! 9y @olin Smith! 7a p59li he4 in "%+.3 Tho5;h the Smith tran lation ha er8e4 t7o ;eneration of rea4er 7ell! it i no lon;er 5fficient to ati fy the e8er*increa in; 4eman4 of 6erlea5*Ponty cholar hip3 To 9e;in 7ith! Smith him elf 7a a no8eli t! not a philo opher3 Hi tran lation! a a re 5lt! i not al7ay 5fficiently en iti8e to the philo ophical impact of 8ario5 tran lation choice 3 In4ee4! there are a n5m9er of place in 7hich Smith: philo ophical naA8etB lea4 him to ma1e mi ta1e in tran lation that affect the philo ophical en e of a pa a;e3 6oreo8er! a 1

n5m9er of 4i a tro5 mi ta1e eem to ha8e 9een intro45ce4 into the mo t recent e4ition of the tran lation 9y mean of ome 1in4 of mechanical error3 For e0ample! the important H5 erlian 7or4 CprotentionD ha 9een y tematically replace4 7ith the 7or4 Cprotection3D I ho5l4 empha i>e that the e latter mi ta1e are not attri95ta9le to Smith him elf? 95t they 4o ne8erthele ha8e a 4e8a tatin; effect on the c5rrent e4ition of hi tran lation3 <eyon4 the i 5e of the en e of the pa a;e ! the Smith e4ition i almo t completely lac1in; the cholarly apparat5 that i no7 e0pecte4 9y erio5 rea4er of philo ophical te0t 3 There i no in4ication in the En;li h te0t! for e0ample! of the French pa;ination? a a re 5lt! rea4er of the tran lation 7ho 7ant to locate a pa a;e in the ori;inal m5 t pen4 inor4inate amo5nt of time earchin; from pa;e to pa;e3 For rea4er not alrea4y familiar 7ith the French ori;inal! thi can 9e a 8ery time*con 5min; an4 7a tef5l proce 3 It i ma4e 7or e 9y 6erlea5*Ponty: e0cee4in;ly par e 5 e of the para;raph 9rea13 It i not 5ncommon for a para;raph to ;o on for fi8e or i0 pa;e in the French! ;i8in; the rea4er no 9reath for air3 I propo e to intro45ce! a Kemp*Smith 4i4 in hi tran lation of Kant: Fir t @ritiE5e! a para;raphin; y tem that 7ill 9rin; the te0t 5n4er control3 Al o! the e0ten4e4 ta9le of content that appear in the French i completely lac1in; from the c5rrent tran lation3 <y incl54in; thi F an4 perhap e8en 9y p5ttin; the chapter 59*hea4in; in the 9o4y of the te0t! a ha 9een 4one in a recent S7i German tran lation of PP F I 7ill ;i8e the rea4er more caffol4in; on 7hich to 95il4 hi 5n4er tan4in; of 6erlea5*Ponty: often 4en e an4 ometime conf5 in; ar;5ment 3 In a44ition to the e more pro aic ai4 ! I propo e to offer an e0ten4e4 critical apparat5 for the tran lation a 7ell3 Smith: tran lation contain no critical apparat5 at all3 One ;oo4 mo4el in thi re pect i the 6acE5arrie an4 Ro9in on En;li h tran lation of 6artin Hei4e;;er: Sein und Zeit3 The e tran lator are caref5l to hi;hli;ht important 7or4 in the ori;inal German te0t an4 to 4i c5 the n5ance of meanin; that 4i tin;5i h them from the En;li h 7or4 they ha8e 5 e4 in tran lation3 Thi i certainly one of my ;oal a 7ell3 I al o plan to 5p4ate reference to an4 4i c5 ion of rele8ant empirical literat5re3 One of the rea on 6erlea5*Ponty: 7or1 i o rele8ant to contemporary philo opher an4 cienti t i that it i ;ro5n4e4 in e0ten4e4 4i c5 ion of famo5 ne5rop ycholo;ical ca e of the 4ay3 In the inter8enin; +' year ! ho7e8er! many a48ance ha8e 9een ma4e in the cientific t54y of the e 1in4 of ca e ! an4 I 7ill offer ome ;5i4e to an4 4i c5 ion of the more recent literat5re that i rele8ant to the phenomenolo;ical claim 6erlea5*Ponty i ma1in;3 Finally! I 7ill 7rite a 59 tanti8e intro45ction to the tran lation! ;i8in; an o8er8ie7 of 6erlea5*Ponty: place in the hi tory of phenomenolo;y! the central a pect of hi 8ie7 on perception! action! an4 lan;5a;e! an4 hi rele8ance for contemporary philo ophical an4 co;niti8e ne5ro cientific 7or13 I ho5l4 mention that I inten4 the entire critical apparat5 to er8e a the 9e;innin; of a 4i c5 ion of 6erlea5*Ponty: 7or1 that I 7ill contin5e in a more e0ten4e4 commentary on the te0t3 The commentary 7ill 9e p59li he4 eparately an4 at a later time3 Likely Readership The c5rrent En;li h tran lation i rea4! 4e pite it 4efect ! 9y a 7i4e ran;e of people3 <y impro8in; the or;ani>ational tr5ct5re! an4 offerin; a critical apparat5 that 7ill help rea4er to 5n4er tan4 the rele8ance of 6erlea5*Ponty: 7or1 to contemporary i 5e in philo ophy an4 co;niti8e ne5ro cience! I e0pect the c5rrent rea4er hip to e0pan43 It 7ill incl54eG

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Philo ophy 5n4er;ra45ate an4 ;ra45ate t54ent t54yin; phenomenolo;y! e0i tentiali m! philo ophy of min4! philo ophy of perception! philo ophy of co;niti8e cience! an4 philo ophy of the 9o4y3 @o;niti8e cience 5n4er;ra45ate an4 ;ra45ate t54ent 3 Aca4emic philo opher t54yin; perception! action! intentionality! con cio5 ne ! em9o4iment3 Ro9otici t an4 artificial intelli;ence re earcher 3 @o;niti8e ne5ro cienti t t54yin; perception! action! an4 8i 5o*motor acti8ity3 General rea4er 7ith an intere t in phenomenolo;y3