Translation Criticism: Phenomenology of Perception by Merleau-Ponty

This article tries to analyze the content of the book Phenomenology of Perception by Merleau-ponty critically. Therefore, having considered the importance of this work in the formation of the concept of Phenomenology in the author’s own period, we regard the role of this book in the following trend of Phenomenology. In introducing the author of this work, Maurice Merleau-ponty, we point out to the disadvantages of Phenomenology by Husserl from the viewpoint of Merleau-ponty. This paper, also, studies the translation of this book in English (since the original work was in French); so, the translator of the work; i. e., Colin Smith (1914-1990), will be introduced. The major part of this article is dedicated to the Content Analysis of this work, critically review its translation, and criticize the conceptual analytical status of the book itself. In the proceeding sections, we focus on the chronological order of the book, the sufficiency of resources, accuracy in references and citations, the form, and the language of the work, which is to some extent difficult. At last, in the conclusion, we mention the central importance of this work for some majors such as Philosophy in the post-graduate degrees, and even its permeation into the fields of Art, Medicine, and Nursing.