Merleau-Ponty: Institution-Ontology-Politics

This book offers the first comprehensive study of the Merleau-Pontian notion of “Institution” (Stiftung), one of the most original yet least understood ideas of his late philosophy. Moving beyond its traditional phenomenological scope, it reveals how Institution brings into play a close interrelation between ontology, time, history, and a profound reflection on politics and political agency throughout Merleau-Ponty’s unfinished project. Tracing the concept across diverse perspectives—from embodiment and sense genesis to imagination, politics, and revolution—the book uncovers the deep unity of his late thought and its critical relevance today. It also shows how Institution opens new paths for contemporary debates in phenomenology, ontology, political philosophy, and aesthetics.