Taking Natural History Seriously: Whitehead and Merleau-Ponty’s Ontological Approach

This paper investigates Alfred North Whitehead and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s attempts to develop a historical, dynamic ontology (a “process ontology”, according the former, an “ontology of flesh” for latter). The claim is that their originality lies in methods adopted reach such ontologies, which show strong similarities. Both authors based research on nature, conceived as “the leaf Being”, perceptual experience, understood not chaos bare, punctual, sense data, but complex, original source meaning constitutes primary field philosophical investigation—the only from one can gain new understanding both nature logos (things, happenings, values, subjectivity, laws, etc.). After some introductory remarks connections between Merleau-Ponty, divided into three parts. first part clarifies why how, philosophers, should start scrutiny nature. second specifies what this conception is. third focuses how ontologies must be construed historic, insofar behaviors, actions, practices lie at core concept being.