The body has its own intelligence and agency from "summary" of Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty
The body is not just an object that we have, but it is also a subject that actively engages with the world. It possesses its own intelligence and agency, independent of the mind, which shapes our perceptions and actions in profound ways. When we move, touch, or experience the world through our bodies, we are not simply receiving stimuli passively; rather, we are actively participating in the world and making sense of it through our bodily engagement. Our body is not a mere tool or instrument that the mind uses to interact with the world; it is an integral part of our experience and understanding of the world. The body's intelligence is not separate from the mind's intelligence; rather, they are deeply intertwined and co-constitutive. The body's agency is not something that is imposed upon it from the outside; rather, it emerges from within, as a response to the demands and possibilities of the environment. Through our bodily experiences, we come to know the world in a way that is different from, but equally valid as, knowledge gained through rational thought. Our bodily sensations,...
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