A study in ambiguity : Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty on the question of truth
This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the history of modern continental philosophy by establishing a structural link between the thoughts of Friedrich Nietzsche and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. I argue that this link lies in the question of truth: both thinkers criticise the traditional concept of truth as objectivity. However, they both find in the existence of this very concept a problem that its rejection alone does not solve. What is it in our natural axistence that gave rise to the notion of truth? It is this questioning which I call the ~question of truth~. I locate three ways in which the question of truth informs Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty's thoughts. Firstly, both thinkers propose a genealogy of the concept of ~truth,~ one in which they suggest that our natural existence is structured in a pre-objective way: existing means making implicit truthclaims. Further, they each explain the appearance of our belief in truth in terms of a radicalisation of this implicit attribution of truth (Chapters I and IV). Secondly, both thinkers seek to recover the pre-objective ground from which truth as an erroneous concept arose. They propose strikingly similar methods to do so (Chapters II and V). This ground, once
Chouraqui, Frank
B Philosophy (General) ; BD Speculative Philosophy
A study in ambiguity : Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty on the question of truth. This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the history of modern continental philosophy by establishing a structural link between the thoughts of Friedrich Nietzsche and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. I argue that this link lies in the question of truth: both thinkers criticise the traditional concept of truth as objectivity. However, they both find in the existence of this very concept a problem that its rejection alone does not solve. What is it in our natural axistence that gave rise to the notion of truth? It is this questioning which I call the ~question of truth~. I locate three ways in which the question of truth informs Nietzsche and Merleau-Ponty's thoughts. Firstly, both thinkers propose a genealogy of the concept of ~truth,~ one in which they suggest that our natural existence is structured in a pre-objective way: existing means making implicit truthclaims. Further, they each explain the appearance of our belief in truth in terms of a radicalisation of this implicit attribution of truth (Chapters I and IV). Secondly, both thinkers seek to recover the pre-objective ground from which truth as an erroneous concept arose. They propose strikingly similar methods to do so (Chapters II and V). This ground, once
study ambiguity nietzsche ponty question truth seek make history modern continental philosophy establish structural link thought nietzsche ponty argue link lie question truth thinker criticise traditional concept_truth objectivity however existence concept problem rejection alone solve natural give_rise notion truth question call_question truth locate way question truth informs nietzsche ponty thought firstly thinker propose genealogy concept_truth suggest natural existence structure pre objective way existing mean make implicit explain appearance belief truth term radicalisation implicit attribution truth secondly thinker seek recover pre objective ground truth erroneous concept arose propose strikingly similar method ground