Oneself as Another (Soi-même comme un autre, 1990) is Paul Ricœur’s late, mature meditation on selfhood that integrates phenomenology, hermeneutics, and moral philosophy. Ricœur reframes the classic problem of the self (identity, unity, permanence) by showing how narrative, interpretation, and ethical responsibility make possible a coherent account of personal identity without reducing the self to either pure permanence or pure flux.
In the landscape of 20th-century philosophy, two giants loomed: the analytic tradition (focused on logic and language) and the continental tradition (focused on existence and phenomenology). Paul Ricoeur’s Oneself as Another (1990) is a rare bridge between these worlds.
At the heart of Ricoeur's hermeneutics lies a fundamental conceptual distinction that serves as the bedrock for the entire work: the distinction between — sameness ( idem ) and selfhood ( ipse ) . This distinction is a key philosophical concern of the book.
For Ricoeur, identity is not just a psychological or literary construct; it is fundamentally ethical. He distinguishes between "ethics" (the Teleological Aristotelian aim of a good life) and "morals" (the Deontological Kantian obligation to universal laws). paul ricoeur oneself as another pdf
This refers to the fluid, evolving dimension of identity that is maintained through agency, choices, and fidelity to promises. Ipse is not tied to physical permanence but to existential continuity. It answers the question: Who am I?
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Self-esteem cannot exist without (mutual respect and care for the other). Ricoeur argues that the "other" is not an obstacle to my freedom, but the very condition of it. True friendship and love require a reciprocal recognition where "oneself" treats the other "as another self," and recognizes that the self is "another" to someone else. 3. In Just Institutions (The Political/Institutional Scale) Oneself as Another (Soi-même comme un autre, 1990)
The most significant and legitimate free source is the . A scanned copy of the book is available for borrowing, and it is a reliable and legal way to access the text without paying. This is an excellent option for readers without institutional access or the means to purchase the book.
The word "as" ( comme ) does not just mean "comparison" (I am like another) but rather implies that selfhood includes otherness at its very heart. To say "myself" is to already imply the existence and impact of the "other." 2. Sameness vs. Selfhood: Idem and Ipse
This tripartite definition emphasizes that self-esteem is not just about the individual; it is mediated by our ethical evaluations of our actions toward others. We see ourselves an "other" because we are responsible to those around us. 4. The Conceptual Framework of Action Paul Ricoeur’s Oneself as Another (1990) is a
He looks at how speaking acts (like promising or stating) anchor the self as an agent. The self is defined as the operator who can say, "I am the one performing this action." Detour 2: Narrative Identity (Studies 5–6)
Unlike Descartes’ "I think, therefore I am," Ricoeur argues that the self is discovered only through its relations with the world and other people.