The Emergence of the Question of Language in Merleau-Ponty’s The Structure of Behavior

Abstract

This article examines the emergence of the question of language in Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s The Structure of Behaviour, which precedes Phenomenology of Perception and yet has often been overlooked in studies of his philosophy of language. Contrary to the interpretation that places the beginning of this problem in a later work, it is argued that the foundations of his linguistic conception are already present in nuce in his first book. Through an analysis of his critiques of behaviourism and the dialogue with Kurt Goldstein’s organismic theory, two central themes are examined: the philosophical implications of aphasia and the notion of “linguistic consciousness.” It is shown how Merleau-Ponty understands language as an a priori material structure, inseparable from the body and intersubjectivity. Finally, the continuity between The Structure of Behaviour and Phenomenology of Perception is highlighted, as well as the relevance of the former for understanding the subsequent development of his thought.