Ways of thinking about being: Explorations in ontology

✍ Scribed by Marjorie O'Loughlin

• Book ID: 104743076
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 489 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0039-3746
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00367523

✦ Synopsis

This paper briefly explores Merleau-Ponty's notions of 'body subject' and 'flesh' in order to draw out some of the implications of his work for an understanding of key aspects of non-Western worldviews, notably that of Australian aboriginal people. Focusing specifically on the concept of materiality, I argue that its elaboration as flesh in Merlean-Ponty's work constitutes an important conceptual link with non-atomistic accounts of being and world, accounts characteristic of some indigenous peoples. Writing as a non-aboriginal and a relative newcomer to the study of aboriginal beliefs, I address the issue of possible contributions such understandings may make to solutions to problems we face in future both as individuals and as educators.