Interactions “at a Distance” and the Incorporation of Technology: A Merleau-Pontian Account

Merleau-Ponty offers an insightful account of the relation between bodies and technology, specifically by understanding this connection as incorporation (i. e., extension of the body schema). This account is particularly convincing when considering interactions “at a distance.” (e. g., video conferences) However, two aspects of this relation are potentially problematic: (1) Current technologies, devices, and infrastructures enabling interactions “at a distance” are more complex than the examples discussed byMerleau-Ponty. (2) If the relation between bodies and technology is conceived as a relation of incorporation, how can technologies, devices, and infrastructures themselves be perceived? These issues are analyzed from a Merleau-Pontian perspective, notably by drawing on his account of the body schema, of sensory perception, and some aspects of his reading of gestalt theory.