"Phenomenology has often been accused of denying metaphysics and making metaphysical reflection impossible. Several philosophers have tried to reconcile phenomenology with traditional metaphysics, but the synthesis usually appeared to be a hybrid of heterogeneous elements. Metaphysics cannot be added to phenomenology, but must be discovered in it. Merleau-Ponty has discovered the metaphysical implications of his phenomenological starting-point. Dr. Kwant describes Merleau-Ponty's way from phenomenology to metaphysics in his posthumous work, The Visible and the Invisible. Merleau-Ponty does not deny any of his former points of view in the new book, but he reflects upon his former principles. He now thinks that his former starting-point namely, the intentional relationship between the body-subject and the world, is not the real point of philosophical reflection. This relationship implies a duality and the philosopher is not allowed to start from duality. Merleau-Ponty now considers this duality to be the dualization of a preceding unity--the unity of Being. In this way Merleau-Ponty discovers the metaphysical implications of the intentional relationship. Dr. Kwant's book is a contribution to the solution of the highly important problem of the relationship between phenomenology and metaphysics." -- Provided by publisher