Abstract

The aim of this paper is to account for Michel Henry’s critique of Merleau-Ponty as regards the own body and the flesh. To that end, I start by displaying Merleau-Ponty’s position on these matters. Then I present Henry’s critique, which are focused on Phenomenology of Perception and The Visible and the Invisible. After that, I consider these objections in general and concentrate on the meaning of Merleau-Ponty’s latest work on Descartes’ dioptric, in particular. Finally, I argue that his unfinished work opens more fruitful channels of dialogue than the works criticized by Henry.