Abstract EN:

The object of this thesis is to restore the essence of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's philosophy. He was an inexhaustible reader able to apprehend and make a personal adaptation of the concept of the body drawing from both traditional philosophy and the non philosophical works of writers, poets, artists, anthropologists, psycho-pathologists, linguists, historians, theologians. . . All interprets of our modern times. His first 'Phénoménologie du corps' was published in 1945. . . Then he came to hands with world events (W. W. II, the occupation, the resistance, the liberation of Paris), and his role as editor in chief of "Les Temps Modernes". He later became involved in politics, wrote numerous essays, gave many lectures and thaught philosophy in high schools and at the Universities of Lyon and the Sorbonne. In 1952, at the early age of 44, he had the privilege of being elected to the 'Collège de France' following in the footsteps of Bergson and Lavelle. In only eight years he resumed the cogito of Descartes and the 'impensé de l'union de l'âme et du corps', and went on to other major works of M. De Biran, Hegel, Husserl, or Heidegger and also of Freud. Thus he remodelled "le métaphysique dans l'homme" and laid down the fundations of an Ontology of the flesh. This materialized in his wonderful booklet "L'Oeil et l'esprit" and in his most extraordinary work "Le visible et l'invisible" that was published after his death. His "Philosophes célèbres", a major work that he conceived and directed, should also not be forgotten. Today, fifty years later, M. Merleau-Ponty, mainly by his 'vision of the body' and his 'broadened reason', has become a 'classic' in the study of philosophy. This is what we will endeavour to demonstrate via the 'reception' of his works by his peers in France and by his philosopher or psychoalanyst interpreters.