Philosophy and Phenomenology of the Body

THE SEEMING CONTINGENCY OF THE QUESTION CONCERNING THE BODY AND THE NECESSITY FOR AN ONTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BODY When we disclose and bring forth, within ontological investigations aimed at making possible the elaboration of a phenomenology of the eg

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by

MICHEL HENRY

translated by GIRARD ETZKORN

• MARTINUS NIJHOFF - THE HAGUE - 1975

©

1975 by Martinus NijhofJ. The Hague, Netherlands Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st Edition 1975 All rights reserved. including the right to translate or to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form

ISBN-l3: 978-90-247-1735-4 DO!: 10. 1007/978-94-010-1681-0

e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-1681-0

PHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE BODY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Translator's Note

VII

Author's Preface

IX

Introduction:

THE SEEMING CONTINGENCY OF THE QUESTION CON-

CERNING THE BODY AND THE NECESSITY FOR AN ONTOLOGICAL

1

ANALYSIS OF THE BODY

Chapter I:

THE PHILOSOPHICAL PRESUPPOSITIONS OF THE BIRANIAN

ANALYSIS OF THE BODY

11

1. The Philosophical Presuppositions of Biranian Ontology . 2. The Transcendental Deduction of the Categories . 3. The Theory of the Ego and the Problem of the Soul

11 22 36

Chapter II:

52

THE SUBJECTIVE BODY

Chapter III: MOVEMENT AND SENSING 1. The Unity of our Senses and the Problem of the Relationship between our Images and our Movements 2. The Unity of the Body Interpreted as a Unity of Knowledge. Habit and Memory 3. The Individuality of Human Reality as Sensible Individuality Chapter IV:

83 92 102

THE TwOFOLD USAGE OF SIGNS AND THE PROBLEM OF

THE CONSTITUTION OF ONE'S OWN BODY

Chapter V:

77

CARTESIAN DUALISM

Chapter VI:

.

136

A CRITIQUE OF THE THOUGHT OF MAINE DE BIRAN. THE

PROBLEM OF PASSIVITY .

Chapter VII:

108

154

CONCLUSION. THE ONTOLOGICAL THEORY OF THE BODY

AND THE PROBLEM OF INCARNATION. THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT

Index of Authors Index of Terms .

183 223 225

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

In the present translation, we have followed the same principles which guided our task in the English rendition of L'Essence de fa Manifestation. Henry's present work on the body proves to be considerably clearer and will shed no little light on the theses he defends in The Essence of Manifestation. I would like to thank my wife, Linda, for her contributions in typing the manuscript and in admonishing me about the finer points of grammar and punctuation. My gratitude is likewise directed to Mme. Anne Henry, professor of English literature at the University of Montpellier and wife of the author, who went over the entire manuscript and provided me with a number of helpful suggestions. Finally, my thanks go to the author himself for his insightful comments. My only hope is that his work will receive the acclaim it so richly deserves. The work of this present translation was begun early in 1972 and completed in July of 1974. Girard ETZKORN The Franciscan Institute St. Bonaventure University, New York

AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE PRESENT TRANSLATION

The present work, according to the original intention of the author, constituted but a single chapter in the totality of the investigations dedicated to the problem of the sUbjectivity of the ego. These investigations led to two volumes entitled The Essence of Manifestation to which we will frequently refer. With regard to the chapter on the body-which