————— 1 / An Unpublished Text by Maurice Merleau-Ponty: A Prospectus of His Work" Translated by Arlen B. Dally (We even cease tivo the wold cf perception, but we ‘0 beyond itn rita thought amos othe pant of forpeting the ‘nuuton of perpen to our Seu of truth. For eel dhought “Sncoumters oly bare ropestons which cart, accepts or eet. risa! thong has broken with the nalve evince of Shing, and ‘ren It firme, ts beeaue fe no longer finds axy means of dena Flowever necenary tis scty of veriction may be peli {ern and demanding from au experonce i credanal of vay, i {mot aware of ow cata ith fhe perelved word whieh i imply there before us beneath the level of he vere toe andthe fale Nor ‘door crtcal aught even deine the pose steps f thinking or is tron vali ccompishents ‘My st two marks sought to restore che wo of perception, My works in peparation sim to show bow commuriation with oer, i thought ake up and go Beynd the realm a perception which Inte us tothe eat "Th perceiving snd ian iearnated mind 1Yave tre, st ofall, to jevtblch the 00s oF he mind in 6 Body and ints word, ong gait doctns which teat pereepon ax a ple result of the ‘Elon of extemal tings on out body a well as against those which4 / THE PRIMACY OF PERCEPTION {nit on the autonomy fenasousnes. Thee phlosopies commonly forgec—in favor of 8 pure exterirlsy er of & pre interior -—the {ern ofthe mind in erporelisy, the ambigucr slain which we ‘eterain with ur body and correlative, with persed things, When oe atempts, as Ihave in The Structure of Behar 0 ace ou, 00 the bass of moder prycheagy and physelog, te reladonsips which ‘hain becween the perevig erga and temic ne cal ds that bey are not those of an automate machine which newts an tsi spent set off i prcertalished mechani And it equally ‘lee that one ds not acount forthe fara by superimposing # Poe Contemplative consciousness ona thinglke boy. In the conditions of lteitnoe i te berate rganim les neve eta felaed physical and chimcal gents an to the constellation which they form and tothe whde station which they dine. chavs evra a srt of prompecte activity inthe xpaniam, an A were ‘rented toward the mani of certain elementary statons, 2611 ‘cterained falar rato with them, aif hee were an a prin ‘Ee npn,” pivoged conducts and law of internal equi tich predspod the organism to certain ations witht alle. At {hie eel there sno ques Jet of a al selFawareness er of inter ‘onal stv, Moreover, te organi’ respective capa i ex ‘led oly within dened mie and depends on preci, local cond tone. “The functioning of the central nervous system presents us with simile poradones In ts ler forme, the hry of cereal esis. tions har profoundly changed the relation of fancuon to substate 1. ‘no lenge ssigns, for instance, «pre-established mechanism t cach ‘Pessptul bel “Coordinating enters” ae na longer consicred Er wurchouses of ceriral tacos” and ther functioning ie quali tively afferent frm one cae to ancer depending on te chromate ‘nuance tobe evoked and the percept str toe realized, Finally, (hi functioning reflace l tesbuety and al he wait of percep ‘sladonehipe “The perv organi: stems wo show ws a Carteslan mixture of ene sul wit the bad. Higher-order behaviors give anew meaning to {he life ofthe erganis, be the nd ere dipone of ly mated Ineedom need simpler attics inorder stale tal ia durable fnstiutons snd to realize tuelf tly as mind. Perceptual behavior ‘inerges from thee relate 0 4 situation and to an entzonment ‘which ate nt de workings «pure, knowing subject. Tnmy work onthe Phexomenaony of Perception we are no longer present atthe emergence of pereptal behaviors, rather we install fumeves im them in order to pursue the analysis of this exceptional An Unpublished Text / 5 relation betmeen the subject and its body and ts wr. Far contempo- ny payhlogy and psychopatcogy the body i mo longer merely | oper nthe worl, under the purview of vparte pi, eon the Side ofthe subject out pt of ew onthe wold, the plage where ‘he spit akes ona certain physical and hstrel stato, At Des ‘cave ence eld pootunaly, the sali at merely a te body He 8 filet ia sip, Hs wholly termine withthe bey, The body {en is wll ninated and ll ts fonctions ona ta the peep tion af abjeet—an activity Tong considered by pilxopy to be pure We giup enteral apace trou uation. A corpores ox postal sera gies us at every moment bal, pacts, snd {mpl ration af the lation tween our body ae Ug, of out held tmnt. A syste of passe overex Toe projet” rdlates lohabitso: haunts pach Jt apple elf space Ike 3 hand © a There andwhen we wish fo move about we oot move tbe boy ‘Sime move an jee We tumor k wthout iste a By ‘ag, sinc ke ors and bene troop we ave cet ae to 18 cr expression inthe mel, he vse for of our neers. Even] Su nont secret ffsctvemovemen, oe ow dey fote ‘imo infant bp a shape oe preps of an "Now if perecption i hus the common at of ll our mote and atteve func, no lean than the story, we must ras the recut hepa nar though res sma to ht of 2, cael, Pr the tur ofthe perceived wold Baie under ‘he seimentations of ater know. Digging drwn tthe preted torte sce hat sensory gualites ae no opaque inate evens” ‘hich se simpy exibie oa rmwtecomesouess—a fiver dea {lana pilot. We sce to hat clore (each urounded by 3m ‘ects storpere hich paycholgits have bern able to 08) and ine) ae temaler diferent male four e-exitence with he orld. We alo nd that spa forme er Games are not 20 sch ‘ato between eileen pots i cjecve spac a they ate ra ‘one Between hese pt and a cena Peopcve—our Bay. In ‘Sore thn tins se fren ways fr exer mil text 2 ‘elk, and ary our resp on the wor, ou zonal and vera Shehorage ins place acts Bereanchnow. We nd that preted {hing utc geet objets, arene bounded ets who aes tt consucton we poses api Botta hey sre ope, inexact Sle yreme which we ecognise tough cotan sl of development. Snug we are never abn principle, to explo tem ently and6 / THE PuImacy oF PERCEPTION ven though they never ge wx mor than poles snd pepe ove hemscives Final, wo Bnd hae the preted oe 18 {hm ot pure cje f ought nu ares oT thc ie nies iste by all eee! ees. We ‘Ee werd ne doebe coors thee prepa bigs. We co DEE [pesume atte wrk nbc Our won ae Mabe san inode we now ih characterise sae capt of this percep sexpert, vay at be seranopaent hgh sal ASE pment Hel witout nereenc of boy nd “ar The pererang mites tabu tikes ater, fore secant mal pct betes or bey ad ae ‘tmecn soles and or tod tne stuston te cont ie pts bac und te tinea Bi, a ech iota i something ane very tcarate SSR sch cpe nan nw we at yet he what wl ‘ten. Ort ites new lngune; we do ot ow what moi Wilaccmpth ut eniy hone has appeared camo aly Id er mach to hve hiory anda meaning The very prouctity tte of human i a rom denying or ston, ns “his ear tings ose of frie tas which Ihave dette sine sand which wil deel x he plese! ilcance of my clon seks whe hy. frm, determine the ‘Rutan the meter te ater oes 1 ound in he experece of the pereed wed a new OF of | satin tstnen the mind an twh The eine of the peered ‘hg ins concee eps inh ery tnt of equates, sd in tbe equalesce sang alto sense reperas—bich coud esa toy that one shld be let pat even ers. Before oot Sued extn the wad sre xn: To unt be ata {ne of mh arene. Weesprets na tu ch shows hough ad envelope tor than ning eld and reumsred Dy aie Now ie conser, ave th pcted worl he el of tnowt ge propely so eldest ld tm wih the rd seks To fonts he tho defn abject ind than to tan fo 8 hive wisdom so det the paral of ot santen-—e mura: Door nthe tea of te pceved worl kee the orm Pa imple specrance not pre snderanding 4 new source of {owe compare ih wich or percep falar wih Che woisonly soup caforned tc? Wo are ged wo amet thee queens Set wah any of hand thn wih thor of ‘An Unpublished Text 7 tocereubjectivity, Do of whi have aleady toyed yp i esays tech ase dvte de Clanne,""Le Roman eta matapbyegoe”* and, nthe pilosopy of history, in Hamanirme et tone (ug¢7. But the ‘lulbsopical foundations of these essays are sl to by rigor ‘Slborted I mn now werking on fo books dealing wih 2 theory of uth, trem toe that knowledge and the communication with other) which ie presupposes not only ae original formations with respect to ‘he percep ie but alo they preserve and conto our pereptal life even wile ranforming it Kaopledge and cammniaton sub |- rate rather than suppress cur incarnation, and the characterise o| ‘ation of the mind fn the mowment by mle We recpaare poral existence and use to symbole nvead of mary tc ‘st. This metsmomponts Hes in the double fuction of our body “Through it sensoy fla” ands whole 18.50 Hava sacle body capable of genures, of expresin, a Tengu, tors ack on he wel sgl As ee ii eltkenial point, aval pce” fn whlch the apa values that a pont would rectee (or any oder poison of our corporal caedinntes) ae also recognined. A system of corespondence i estab- {ited beowon sur spa situation td that of ees, and each one ‘comes to symbolize al the bers, Fis nserdon of or facta station Siva parelar ave wihin the aytem of other posable tuations ‘ogi ae von at we designate apn im space with ur Anger. Foe his ‘otninggetre, which animals do not understand, spose that we re alteady installed in vital space—~at te end of he ie roengg, ‘ur finger na engl and clare space. This mime uae of out ‘ou ino yet a conception, wine it der aoe ct us of from Out ‘orporelsitston, on he contrary, same alls meaning Teleads ‘arto a concrete thory of the mind which wil sbow the mind in 3 ‘lationship of reciprocal exchange wih the instruments which i uses, ‘Dut wae nly while rendering to them wha has ected fom hem, snd more Tm a general way expressive gestures (in which the science of physiognomy sought n vai fo th nufSsent sgn of emotional sats) Bates unvoal meaning only with vespet to the suation which they Cnderine and panctuste. But Uke phonemes, which have no meaning by themecvesexprsive gesture have arial values thy an ounce te consign of smbali of nine ‘mumber of soins, They are ts. lnguage. And re8 / THE PRIMACY OF PERCEPTION ciprocally language can be treated as 2 gestation 20 vale, 60 proces systema, and pale ofa many converge expesions Ffccorpements| that the lnemal stuctre of am uleranee an © imately apre ony with he metal seuaton to Which responds and of ie i Escomet an unequvecal sgn The meaning of language, Uke ars thu dee note te Sse epeing TE Fnsning Oe comm eon. a is under. (sc ony the Beare, elowing the vert chai.” goos beyond each | ots nk inthe directo Oa they all designate teeth. 1 flows that even sory thought does not cease using the Ian gmgr which sopprte emcee fom the tanaory, and thors 8 nck agin, Cause sid that Shughr was the shtick” of lat fragt lu follows that paps taken piece by plc, lnguage does tot yet contain te meaning, a all communiaton supposes in the ster a eeative enactnent of what beard Language leds 0 10 1 thought whch no longer ours alee, to a thought which Is pe amply univers though this never the universally of pure oneep which wuld be Wendel for every mind Tes rather thecal ‘Wisc slanted thought dae to oe dooghts, equally stated ndeach one ond pte cll witht own resources An examina tin of the domain of sgesthm would show thereto, ele, de fe strange faction which fs at work in the socaled inexact forms {Gr language: Expecly when i Se a question of conquering a new ‘omain for exact though, he most formal thought always referced {osome qualitatively defied sent ston frm which i extracts @ meaning only by aplying st fo the configuration of the problem ‘Fae unafucnaion i meter a simple analy, and thoughts never ror than relly formal "Since ned to reat is problem mor fully in my work LOrigte dela ede, have spprocehed it ear Avelyn a partally writen eal dang wih era language In this area ies ease to show (hat language is never the ete clothing of ought which etherwfse foucecs sil ul elary. The easing ofa book i given, inthe rn instance, not o such by fr Ideas a6 by a sytemate and on tnpeted vation of the modes of language, of marae, oro xing Iiteraryfanns, This seen this partcular modulation of speech the capesson is ssceafl—ie asimatd byte by the reader, nd jeer im access fo thought to which he was un then indieren oe even eposed. Communiction im erature $ net the timp apealom the part ofthe writer to meanings which would be par of aa jot of te mind mater, communtation arovss these feanings ine mid through encement anda Kind of ebligue action ‘The wnters though does not coal his Ianguage from without; the An Unpublished Text / 9 wer 6 imei 2 kindof new som, costrucing self snventing traynof expesson, and dveriying if according ots own meat {ng Perhaps pvt ony that par of Mtersture where thls sutenamny Senenatiouly dplayed. All geet prose is sae a recreation of the Signing instrument, hencelorth manipulated secoding to 4 ne Syntax Posse wring, on the other hand, lintel to wsig. rough acceped signe the meanings alendy Srp ins get culture. Great pros is te a of eapuring a mearing which ul then bad never ben cbjectied and of rendering it aceede to everyone ‘who apes the same language. When a writer eo longer capable of (hs funding «sew universality and of taking Qe i of omen ating. be hat oie Hs ne Tt sem tome tha me cam alo say of ‘ther insttatons that they have ceased to ive hen they show the seis ineapable of erring en a poetry of human tlatns=tat I Ahccall ofeach indie freedom tall he eters "eg sald thatthe Roman state was the pros ofthe word shall ene my book Introduction a prose donde? I thi work Thal ‘daberate the category of prose beyond the confines of ierature to gve ‘Simba vlatiens and of insittions, which aan the exchange ot hi of thoughts bu of all expos of vals, the coexistence of men ‘win a culture and, beyend within 2 singe story. Inepeted in terms of symbolism. the cancep of history seems exepe the depute sways ected tt because one ordinarily mane by this werd ‘whether to acept ort eect itn external Power the neo ‘which men would be dipeseaed of consciounes History ena tote fxtemal tous than langunge. Thee history of ought the sue ‘esson ofthe works ofthe spt (no multe how any detours we sce {ni sreallyasingeexpeence which develops el si in whose evelopment so to speak th eaptaloes fc Tn an alogoe fens me cans hatter Isa story of hamanty o, more sp, IMumanty. im other words, granting all the pects of stagnation and ete, buman aon are ale to prom, to change tessa ato Testons to plek outdo truth of thts past in the een, t eiinate extn mtr wich ender tho epi ad ey male stone te af th eat chap of Sune Pn 969) Ta “at aun tna oY Seg pho Sal Te————_ ro / THE PRIMACY OF PERCE! ior age te i soc cheetahs ea TE oy ene ee amram yen te ane Te a et craton long a ca eng ie wulner abou ay 8 ‘our i eed ally to an oe cx tn averal gs” common DHS SG tp taovemen’ of sory 0 refi om An Unpublished Text / 1 Iasing them to eptratd prince, these noon mask a constantly ‘Src mee met we ent ce ae ta, espe est and expres rena Te say of percep old ony tach bad ably” & smite of ite and univer of tert ad extort But {arena "good ambigyIn the phenomenon expen, «Spm {aneky which accomplishes what speared o be imponibie whet we {Seemed ony the arfrste element spontanhy ch ater 0 Srikanth fs nd he ae on ‘ltr ite a single mie Tocca this wonder would be meta Pe ae and wold eae ie ge he ce oan