Action, praxis, history
Some remarks on the merleau-pontyan concept of “institution”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2239-5474/18932Keywords:
institution, praxis, hystory, phenomenology, Maurice Merleau-PontyAbstract
The aim of this paper is to explore the merleau-pontyan concept of “institution” by focusing on its development along the 1954-55’s course held by Merleau-Ponty at the Collège de France, titled L’institution, la passivité. The paper intends to show how, by means of this notion, it is possible to think both the active and passive sides of action within individual action, praxis and therefore history. The essay starts with an overview of Merleau-Ponty’s critiques to the sartrian philosophy developed in Adventures of Dialectic, in order to show Merleau-Ponty’s polemical aim against which Merleau-Ponty develops his conception of action. After that, it deepens Merleau-Ponty’s notion of institution following the omonimous course. Finally, the paper tries to describe the conception of history that can be derived from this framework. In the final lines, the paper attempts to open up the concept of institution at the light of some contemporary theoretical problems, such as the problem of agency.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
