Wittgenstein and Merleau-Ponty

Both Ludwig Wittgenstein and Maurice Merleau-Ponty are considered two of the most important philosophers of the twentieth century, although they work within traditions generally regarded as opposite to each other. However, as this distinguished and carefully selected collection demonstrates, there are many similarities between them. Each of them rejects the Cartesian image of the mind, surpassing the duality of thing and consciousness, inside and outside and their consequences, introspective psychology and objective behaviorism, and offers an alternative that allows for integration or synthesis between the mental and the physical, and recognizes the role played by bodily action, language, and our membership within society that shares a form of life. This collection, consisting of eight high-quality research papers written by a select group of specialists in the field, is the first of its kind concerning comparison, contrast, and evaluation of the works of these two great philosophers. It covers core topics and issues including their interaction with Gestalt psychology; the role of society in their philosophies; the similarities between Merleau-Ponty in representation and depiction, and Wittgenstein in speech and action; their approach to expression; subjectivity (the self and unity); indeterminacy; and knowledge and certainty. This book represents a necessary reading for anyone studying Wittgenstein’s and Merleau-Ponty’s works, as well as for those interested in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. I hope that my translation of this work will fill an important gap in the Arabic library concerning the divergence and convergence of these two great philosophers, and also enrich both groups interested in them, as their knowledge is often associated with one or the other, neglecting the depth of the other philosopher’s philosophy or what it has led to. Perhaps this will increase the appreciation of the originality of each of their ideas, as you see the same idea here but from different sources, and see it there but with greater awareness and caution about its consequences. Komarine Romden-Romlek: Associate Professor of Philosophy at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom. Among her works: Merleau-Ponty and Phenomenology of Perceptual Awareness (2011). Mustafa Samir Abdul Rahim: A dentist from Iraq, interested in philosophy of language and mind.