Paul Ricoeur’s Oneself as Another (1990) develops a "hermeneutics of the self" by distinguishing between (sameness) and
Ipse (Selfhood): This is self-constancy. It is the "who" of a person—the capacity to make and keep promises, to be responsible, to change dramatically while remaining the same self. It answers the question, "Who is speaking?" or "Who is accountable?" paul ricoeur oneself as another pdf
Part 1: The Linguistic Foundation (Studies 1-3) Ricoeur begins by arguing that we do not have direct access to our selves; we must talk about ourselves. He analyzes how we use pronouns (like "I" and "You") and how we construct narratives. This introduces his famous concept of Narrative Identity. We understand our lives not as a series of disconnected fragments, but as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The plot of our life is what holds our changing idem and ipse together. Paul Ricoeur’s Oneself as Another (1990) develops a
Here, the PDF becomes a guide for applied ethics in law, medicine, and politics. He analyzes how we use pronouns (like "I"
The Takeaway: A person can undergo massive psychological changes (trauma, growth, aging) and lose their Idem (sameness), yet maintain their Ipse (selfhood) through the continuity of a life story.
Recommendation: If you are engaging with this book seriously, acquiring a physical copy or an official e-book is highly recommended. The index, the margins, and the structural divisions are vital tools for navigating Ricoeur's complex arguments. Furthermore, secondary companions—such as Ricoeur on Time and Narrative or various academic summaries of his "narrative identity"—can be incredibly helpful to read alongside the primary text.
Ricoeur formulates three main theses: