Paul Ricoeur’s Hermeneutics of the Self and Pastoral Theological Anthropology

Abstract

This paper pursues an understanding of Paul Ricoeur`s concept of the self and its implications for pastoral theological anthropology. As a philosopher whose main concern is the phenomenological hermeneutics, Ricoeur took a profound interest in narrative and selfhood. The main portion of this paper is devoted to depicting a contour of Ricoeur`s hermeneutics of the self. In order for this goal, first, I present Ricoeur`s theory of text interpretation. For Ricoeur, interpretation is not an inquiry of the text through imposing our finite capacity for understanding upon the text, but exposing ourselves to the text and receiving from it an enlarged self. Second, I deal with Ricoeur`s understanding of the narrative identity. Inquiring into narrative is pivotal for Riceour, since he thinks that narrative is the mediator which leads us to the hermeneutical understanding of life, self, or identity. In this section, I point out Ricoeur`s appropriation of time, plot, mimesis, and identity. Third, I present Ricoeur`s hermeneutics of the self. In this part, I aim to suggest the self as the focal theme of Ricoeur`s hermeneutic theory. Ricoeur denotes that it is the self that will be changed and enlarged through the process of text interpretation. Based on my understanding of Ricouer`s concept of the self, in conclusion, I conceive some implications for pastoral theological anthropology confronted with the challenges of postmodernity in which the self has been forced to give up its solid and permanent foundation.