Jean-Paul Sartre, Search for a Method (followed by Derrida, Specters of Marx)

Our first meeting of the term will be on Wednesday 7 October, 5pm UK time online. 

We will discuss up to page 34 in the Hazel Barnes translation or the equivalent in other editions or the original French: Sartre, Search for a Method, trans. Barnes, Vintage/Random 1968 and reprints (French original 1960)

The likely dates for Semester 1 meetings thereafter are:

21 October, 4 Nov, 18 Nov, 2nd Dec, 16 Dec

The English translation Search for a Method is the first part only of the French editions of Sartre's Critique of Dialectical Reason. The Critique's chapter 1 opens with the sentence:

"Everything we established in The Problem of Method [which is an alternative name for Search for a Method, A.S.] follows from our fundamental agreement with historical materialism."

 (Critique of Dialectical Reason, vol 1, trans. Sheridan-Smith, Verso 2004, p. 15, French original 1960)

 Reading Choice for 2026-27

Sartre/Derrida 

Search for a Method / Specters of Marx

In the coming academic year, we will tackle Sartre's Search for a Method and Derrida's Specters of Marx (2026 edition). Details to follow; the first meeting (on a Wednesday at 5pm online) is likely to be in late September. 

For further information, contact alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk .

 mauriCe merleau-ponTy, phenoMenology of percePtion

Next meeting (online) 20 May, 5pm

We will meet again on 20 May to discuss pages 448–466 of Landes' translation. For details, please contact alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk.  

Our final meeting of the year (which will discuss the reading to the end of the book and the book as a whole) will be face to face on the campus of Manchester University, on 3 June 5pm, followed by a meal.

 Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception

We will meet again online on 6 May at 5 pm to discuss pages 418–448 in the Landes translation. 

For details, contact alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk .

 Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception

For our next meeting, on 22nd April at 5pm (online), we will discuss pages 388–418 in Landes' translation (= end of section I,l of the book's Part Three). 

 Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception

For our next meeting (online) on 1 April at 5 pm, we will discuss pages 349–383 in Landes' translation (to the end of Part Two of the book). 

For details, please contact alex.samely@mancester.ac.uk.

 Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception

We will meet again online on Wednesday 18 March at 5pm. We will discuss pages 318–349 in Landes' translation (end of "The Natural World"). 

We also decided to have a hybrid meeting on 3rd June, with the in-person meeting taking place at Manchester University, followed by a meal. 

Please get in touch with alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk for more details.