Abstract

Merleau-Ponty’s later works, especially his 1956–57 lectures on Nature, offer a unique interpretation of Schelling’s philosophy as a whole. His systematic approach towards Schelling enables him to neglect the division of Schelling’s works into an early and a late period. Although his work on Schelling is not fully accurate with respect to the historic details, Merleau-Ponty succeeds in illuminating problems in Schelling’s philosophy that Schelling himself could not solve. The main thesis of my essay is that the two philosophers follow the same agenda: to integrate within philosophy that which withdraws from philosophy, a speculative and “barbaric” principle, which nevertheless manifests itself in reality. By presenting Merleau-Ponty’s reading of Schelling, I show how Merleau-Ponty recognizes that his thoughts on nature have a predecessor in Schelling. However, I also draw on Schelling himself – not only to correct some of Merleau-Ponty’s assumptions, but also to elaborate the problem of an unprethinkable as Schelling develops it in his late philosophy. Lastly, I will comment on how Merleau-Ponty combines Schelling’s early approach – which aims at a complete transcendental philosophy through art – with Schelling’s ultimate approach, which gives an onto-theological theory of philosophy that genuinely cannot be completed. Merleau-Ponty’s psychoanalysis of nature is one attempt to accomplish this.