From a intellectual point of view, Kant considered the sensible(Empfindung) and the sensible world. Kant thought that the sensible is only the base of experience, and that it is itself insignificant. It is only the ‘sense data’ which, by the aid of th ...
From a intellectual point of view, Kant considered the sensible(Empfindung) and the sensible world. Kant thought that the sensible is only the base of experience, and that it is itself insignificant. It is only the ‘sense data’ which, by the aid of the intelligence, can constitute the understanding of object. But the sensible which is not caught by the intelligence, which is not reduced to the intelligible, is it only insignificant Is not there the sensible, which is not insignificant Is not there the autonomy of the sensible
But Merleau-Ponty's ‘flesh(chair)’ is the concept which proves this autonomy and a concrete, active world of experience. The sense which is given as the flesh is not only the matter of understanding for the constitution of concept. It doesn't adapt to the conceptualization. On the contrary, beyond conceptualization, it has a effect upon ‘me’. It has a autonomy.
This fact can be proved also by the "musical or sensible idea" that Merleau-Ponty says. The flesh is the world of musical or sensible ideas. The sensible idea(musical or sensible idea) is given by the mutual act between the sensible and the ‘I’(le sentant). It is remained as trace in emotional interior. The sensible can not be completely caught by concept, it can not be reduced to concept.It is, beyond conceptualization, the interor vibration. (When ‘I’ see a simple thing, a coffee cup, when I see a sunrise, when I see a angry man, a emotional and sensible vibration is given to ‘me’.) The sensible idea tells us the ir-reductibility of the sense. It signifies the reversibility between the sensible and the ‘I’. It shows the sensible world as flesh.
In the matter of fact, Kant did not say that all sense is only the matter for concepts, that all sense is not autonomic. For Kant, there is the objects of beauty which are given by the harmonic relation between the intelligence and the imagination which takes diverse senses to a synthesis. There is also the objects of sublime which is not caught by any concept, which rouse up admiration and marvelousness. The objects of beauty and the objects of sublime escape the conceptualization.
But, for Kant, they are not general objects of the world, but exceptional objects. We can say that, for Kant, there are two types of objects: the ones are the common objects which can be conceptualized in consequence of the forms of intelligence, the others, the exceptional objects which refuse the simple determination of concept, which belong to the aesthetic and artistic sphere. There is a dichotomy in the kantian theory of sense.
But Merleau-Ponty shows that the general world itself, world of flesh is the place where aesthetic experience and art evolve. A thing is not only a object which can be conceptualized, but it can be also transformed into the sensible idea which rouse up passion. In principle, the artist can create from the general world, world of flesh(for example, the works of Flaubert, Proust and Francis Ponge). Consequently the source of art is the sensible idea. The aesthrtic thought of Merleau-Ponty justifies the contemporary art where common things and daily world are considered as source of the artistic creation.