Textures of Light: Vision and Touch in Irigaray, Levinas and Merleau Ponty [Hardcover]

Textures of Light draws on the work of Luce Irigaray, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Emmanuel Levinas to present an outstanding and ground breaking study of the vital importance of light in Western thought. Since Plato's allegory of the cave, light and the role of sight have been accorded a unique position in Western thought. They have stood as a metaphor for truth and objectivity and the very axis of modern rationalism. More recently however, this status has come under significant criticism from continental and feminist thought which has stressed the privileging of subjectivity and masculinity in such a metaphor.Textures of Light opens up new debates within continental and feminist philosophy. It will also be essential reading for anyone interested in visual studies and the philosophical issues of vision.Acknowledgements TRUE LIGHT 1. Introduction CARNAL LIGHT 2. Introductory comments 3. Living Flesh 4. Vision in the Flesh 5. Touching Flesh PERVERSE LIGHT 6. Introductory comments 7. Scintillating Lighting 8. The Lightness of Touch 9. Illuminating Passion EROTIC LIGHT 10. Conclusion Notes References IndexUS? 1998 Cathryn Vasseleu