What is hermeneutics for Paul Ricoeur?

Abstract

The concept that possibly better sums up the philosophical thought of Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) is hermeneutics. However, differently to what happens with the most important name of the hermeneutic tradition, the German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-2002), the definition of the concept hermeneutics in Ricoeur does not show up in an univocal manner. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way in some of his works in order to understand the meanings of one of the most fundamental concepts to the French philosopher. We intend, thus, with the present paper, to analyse the triple definition of hermeneutics as interpretation, method and reflection, which are presented in A Crítica e a Convicção, with a methodology analogous to that of Ricoeur himself, which is present in A Memória, a História e o Esquecimento and in O Percurso do Reconhecimento. From that, we aim to understand these analysed meanings, in the way suggested by Escritos e conferências 2: hermenêutica, where we see as mapped the meanings that hermeneutics had along the work of Ricoeur, and to emphasize the original aspect of this notion, which is given through the hermeneutics considered under a reflexive philosophy.