Abstract

The discussion between Merleau‑Ponty and Sartre on the engagement of literature is not restricted to the functional specificity provided by the language analysis. The working hypothesis of the following essay is to highlight the question of the artist’s social responsibility based on the function of the originary. This difference in the characterization of the originary also appears at other moments of the debate between Merleau‑Ponty and Sartre, in the political theme as well as in the ontological one, characterizing a common nucleus in the confrontation between the philosophers. The course of this paper examines the tenor of the critics of Merleau‑Ponty in relation to Sartre.