ABSTRACT
This essay argues for a conception of poly-intentionality based on Merleau-Ponty's analysis of sense experience in his Phenomenology of Perception. I start by reviewing the tenuous status of sensation in Husserl's early work in order to prepare for a renewed conception of intentionality inspired by Merleau-Ponty—one that is grounded in the body's sense organs. I show how sensations accomplish a form of pre-reflective communication between the body and the world. Then, I explore how affect and the notion of a material a priori help resolve certain problems regarding sensation's alleged vagueness and unintelligibility. I conclude by advocating for Merleau-Ponty's notion of radical reflection and supplement it with insights gleaned from the analysis of poly-intentionality.
