It's not entirely accurate to say that French philosophy after the 1960s was mainly focused on ridding itself of the influence of phenomenology. Instead, what we see during this period is a complex interaction with phenomenology, leading to various critical developments and new directions in French thought.
Post-1960s French philosophy, particularly with figures like Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Gilles Deleuze, did involve a critique of certain aspects of phenomenology, especially as represented by Jean-Paul Sartre and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. However, this critique did not mean a wholesale rejection but rather a transformation or rethinking of phenomenological ideas.
For example:
- **Michel Foucault** critiqued the phenomenological emphasis on consciousness and subjectivity by focusing on historical and social structures that shape human experience, introducing concepts like power and discourse.
- **Jacques Derrida** engaged with phenomenology through his development of deconstruction, particularly in his critical examination of Edmund Husserl’s work. While Derrida questioned some foundational assumptions of phenomenology, he also drew heavily from it in developing his own ideas.
- **Gilles Deleuze** criticized phenomenology’s focus on the subjective experience in favor of more dynamic concepts like difference and becoming, which he explored in his works on metaphysics and ontology.
Rather than being a movement to rid French philosophy of phenomenology, this period can be seen as one of critical engagement where phenomenology was both a point of departure and a resource for new philosophical directions. The influence of phenomenology persisted, but it was transformed and integrated into broader intellectual trends, including structuralism, post-structuralism, and postmodernism.
