Embodied Vulnerability and the Precarity of Being: A Merleau-Pontian Analysis of Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air
Authors :Reshma L R and Dr. Nibu Thomson
Abstract
Abstract: The intricate relationship between the body and identity is a critical area of exploration in phenomenology, particularly in the philosophical insights of Maurice Merleau-Ponty. His groundbreaking concept of the lived body (le Corps Propre) challenges the traditional Cartesian dualism by asserting that consciousness is irrevocably tied to an embodied existence within the world. Paul Kalanithi’s poignant memoir, When Breath Becomes Air, is a compelling and profoundly introspective examination of this profound idea. As a neurosurgeon grappling with terminal lung cancer, Kalanithi undergoes a striking transformation, evolving from a healer of others’ suffering to a patient confronting his own body’s vulnerability. His narrative exemplifies the tension between the lived body (how one experiences the body) and the biological body (how the body is treated in medicine). This article delves into Kalanithi’s narrative through the lens of Merleau-Ponty’s Embodiment theory, revealing how his story powerfully illustrates the disruption of bodily perception, motor intentionality, and identity itself.
Keywords: Embodiment, Perception, Lived Body, Identity, Illness Narrative, Phenomenology
