The sick and speaking subject and “catching” sense: a phenomenological approach to consent in health research

Abstract

In this thesis, I will take up the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Iris Marion Young to elaborate a concept of “catching” sense, which I will then apply to consent in the context of health research. I provide a brief explication of Merleau-Ponty’s overall project in Phenomenology of Perception and a detailed analysis of his phenomenology of language, and a brief explication of Young’s project in Throwing Like a Girl and a detailed analysis of her concepts “inhibited intentionality and ambiguous” transcendence. I bring Merleau-Ponty and Young together to advance my concept of “catching” sense, which refers to the first instance of grasping a gesture. Merleau-Ponty’s emphasis on embodiment in language lends itself to analysis of written consent forms and consent discussions, while Young’s work on situatedness and being circumscribed lend themselves to analysis of difficulties navigating challenging tasks. I will argue that our aim in health research consent ought to be the cultivation of the patient into a capable speaking subject who has learned to “throw” and “catch” the senses meaningful to her situation.