
The Rhythm of Thought
Art, Literature, and Music after Merleau-Ponty
Jessica Wiskus(Author)
University of Chicago Press
Published on 1. June 2013
Book
Hardback
184 pages
978-0-226-03092-0 (ISBN)
Description
Between present and past, visible and invisible, and sensation and idea, there is resonance - so philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty argued and so Jessica Wiskus explores in "The Rhythm of Thought". Holding the poetry of Stephane Mallarme, the paintings of Paul Cezanne, the prose of Marcel Proust, and the music of Claude Debussy under Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological light, she offers innovative interpretations of some of these artists' masterworks, in turn articulating a new perspective on Merleau-Ponty's philosophy. More than merely recovering Merleau-Ponty's thought, Wiskus thinks according to it. First examining these artists in relation to noncoincidence - as silence in poetry, depth in painting, memory in literature, and rhythm in music - she moves through an array of their artworks toward some of Merleau-Ponty's most exciting themes: our bodily relationship to the world and the dynamic process of expression. She closes with an examination of synesthesia as an intertwining of internal and external realms and a call, finally, for philosophical inquiry as a mode of artistic expression.
Structured like a piece of music itself, "The Rhythm of Thought" offers new contexts in which to approach art, philosophy, and the resonance between them.
Structured like a piece of music itself, "The Rhythm of Thought" offers new contexts in which to approach art, philosophy, and the resonance between them.
Reviews / Votes
"In The Rhythm of Thought, Jessica Wiskus presents a reading of Merleau-Ponty's late writing and of Merleau-Ponty's engagement with art, literature, and music. Many people have already written about this, but Wiskus, better than anyone else, really draws out the philosophical importance: the development of a philosophical 'operative language,' one that expresses rather than represents. It is truly an impressive book." (Leonard Lawlor, Pennsylvania State University)"More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago
United States
Publishing group
The University of Chicago Press
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 24 mm
Width: 17 mm
Thickness: 2 mm
Weight
397 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-226-03092-0 (9780226030920)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2013
1st Edition
University of Chicago Press
€53.89
Available for download
Person
Jessica Wiskus is associate professor of musicianship and chair of the Department of Musicianship Studies at Duquesne University.