Rediscovering engagement after Descartes — phenomenology, Macmurray, and the primal world-view

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Date
2005
Authors
Balcomb, Tony
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Philosophy in the tradition of Kant and Descartes is characterised by disengagement and objectification. But the rationalist world-view of Descartes and Newton has been challenged from within by the focus on engagement and personification in the work of philosophers such as Macmurray and those in the phenomenological tradition such as Husserl and Merleau-Ponty. This challenge may be indicative of a paradigm shift within modernity. In a manner reminiscent of an African world-view, Macmurray attempts to reinstate relationism, while the phenomenologists propose a similar emphasis on immediate, sensuous appreciation of, and engagement with, the environment. The African world-view is distinctly similar to those proposed by Macmurray and the phenomenologists.
Afrikaans: Filosofie in die tradisie van Kant en Descartes word gekenmerk deur onbetrokkenheid en objektivering. Tog is die rasionalistiese wêreldbeeld van Descartes en Newton van binne af bevraagteken deur ’n fokus op betrokkenheid en personifikasie in die werk van filosowe soos Macmurray en figure uit die fenomenologiese tradisie soos Husserl en Merleau-Ponty. Hierdie uitdaging mag tekenend wees van ’n paradigmaskuif binne die modernisme. Op ’n wyse wat herinner aan ’n Afrika-wêreldbeeld probeer Macmurray ’n relasiebenadering in ere herstel terwyl die fenomenoloë ’n soortgelyke klem plaas op die onmiddellike sintuiglike waardering van en betrokkenheid by die omgewing. Die Afrika-wêreldbeeld is aantoonbaar soortgelyk aan dit wat deur Mcmurray en die fenomenoloë voorgestel word.
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Keywords
Philosophy, Descartes, African world-view
Citation
Balcomb, T. (2005). Rediscovering engagement after Descartes-phenomenology, Macmurray, and the primal world-view. Acta Academica, (Supplement 2), 159-181.