© Logoi.ph – Journal of Philosophy - ISSN 2420-9775 N. I , 2, 2015 – P. Ricoeur and the Symphony of the Languages

Maria Cristina Clorinda Vendra The Polyphony of Text and Life: Phenomenological Hermeneutics Ten Years after the Death of Paul Ricoeur. International Philosophical Congress – Krakow, 19-22 May, 2015 Abstract: Ten years after the death of Paul Ricoeur, the international conference «The Polyphony of Text and Life: Phenomenological Hermeneutics Ten Years after the Death of Paul Ricoeur» took place in Krakow from 19 to 22 May. Hosted by the University Iagellonian, and the Jesuit University Igntianum, the event was enlivened by contributions on Ricoeur‟s phenomenology and hermeneutics within contemporary philosophical debate and current cultural challenges. This report shows a critical reading of the concepts presented during these working days. Keywords: Ricoeur, Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, Contemporary Philosophy

*** Paul Ricoeur is surely one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. His ample theorizing, which covers more than fifty years on the contemporary scene, still offers the possibility of being expounded and reclaimed. Beyond the temporal and quantitative extensions in which we can situate Ricoeur‟s works, articles, essays, lectures, notes, and other writings1, his reflection is characterized by a wide thematic range that extends from his first analysis of the will to the question of recognition. The French philosopher finds his place at the crossroads between different philosophical traditions such as phenomenology, hermeneutics, analytic philosophy, liberalism, communitarianism, personalism, and the philosophies of the gift. Moreover, his thought contributes to the development and the renewal of the social sciences and continues to be a source of inspiration for researchers in related areas outside philosophy. Ricoeur is considered as «philosophe de tous les dialogues»2 since in his work he engages with various voices and disciplines, constantly aiming for an original dialectic mediation among divergent positions. Ten years after the death of Paul Ricoeur, the Institute for Hermeneutics, the University Iagellonian, and the Jesuit University Igntianum in Krakow hosted the international conference The Polyphony of Text and Life: Phenomenological Hermeneutics Ten Years after the Death of Paul Ricoeur3. This event was inscribed within a wide context of international research enlivened by the discussion among numerous researchers in philosophy, sociology, and anthropology tied to the Ricoeurian legacy. The conference aimed to investigate the contribution of Ricoeur‟s phenomenology and hermeneutics within contemporary philosophical debate and current cultural challenges. Catherine Goldenstein, conservator of the Fonds Ricoeur‟s archives and bound to the French philosopher by a long friendship, properly stressed that Ricoeur has made philosophy a way of life and of being, showing through his writings a constant concern for the concrete Cfr. F. Sarcinelli, Paul Ricoeur filosofo del ‘900. Una lettura critica delle opere, Mimesis, Milano, 2013: «a conti fatti, si tratta di oltre 30 volumi pubblicati e di un migliaio tra saggi, articoli, testi di conferenze, interviste, appunti di corsi ed altre note sparse ora nella raccolta del Fonds Ricoeur di Parigi» (p. 20). 2 O. Abel, F. Dosse, J. Greisch, C. Reussner, P. Ricoeur, Paul Ricoeur: philosophe de tous les dialogues, Montparnasse, Paris, 2007. 3 As speaker at the conference, I would like to express my thanks to Robert Grzywacz (Akademia Ignatianum), Adriana Warmbier (Uniwersytet Jagiellonski), and Andrzej Wiercinski (Albert-LudwigsUniversität Freiburg) for the organization of these working days and for the welcoming atmosphere in Krakow. I would like to thank also prof. George Taylor for reviewing my English translation of the report and for his appreciation of my long term interest in Ricoeur‟s scholarship. 1

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problems of his time. Thus, the life of the French thinker turns out to be intrinsically linked with his work. The concepts presented during these intense working days can be gathered around the following topics: 1) the relation among Ricoeur, contemporary philosophy, and today‟s cultural transformations; 2) the concepts of imagination, justice, and practical wisdom in the Ricoeurian philosophy of action; 3) his ethical and anthropological perspectives and his influence on the human sciences; 4) his contribution to the philosophy of religion. 1) Ricoeur, contemporary philosophy and today’s cultural transformations In the first group, the lectures analyzed Ricoeur‟s work with reference to contemporary phenomenology and hermeneutics. Starting from the Ricoeurian reflection on the text, Daniel Frey (Université de Strasbourg) focused on the hermeneutics of reading. The text, which is structured by the dialectical mediation between comprehension and explanation, constitutes an act of access to the world. The perspective offered the promise of the comparison between the Ricoeurian hermeneutics of text and the speculations of others contemporary philosophers on this subject, such as Hans Georg-Gadamer. The relation between the Ricoeurian thought and phenomenology was analyzed through different perspectives offered by Johann Michel (EHESS-Paris), Yvanka B. Raynova (Bulgarian Accademy of Sciences), Jérôme de Gramont (Institut Catholique de Paris), and Robert Grzywacz (Akademia Ignatianum). In agreement with Ricoeur‟s theories, the first speaker proposed to apply the Husserlian phenomenological concept of Rückfrage to the historical sciences. Through reclaiming the last phase of Husserl‟s phenomenology and the Ricoeurian transposition of the questionnement à rebours to the historical sciences, Johann Michel suggested the possibility of an indirect inquiry into the historical condition of humanity. Focusing on the restoration of phenomenology supported by Ricoeur, Yvanka B. Raynova gave an account of the Ricoeurian reception of Merleau-Ponty. Similarly to the latter, Ricoeur starts his phenomenological reflection from Husserl, shows through reflective philosophy the limits of the eidetic analysis, and, drawing upon Heidegger, presents an ontology and phenomenology of being in the world. Finally, Merleau-Ponty and Ricoeur reflect on the incarnate existence of humanity in which the will, the capacities, the body, knowledge, and praxis are essentially tied together. Reflecting on Ricoeur‟s aim to graft hermeneutics onto phenomenology, and criticizing both the Husserlian pretension to found phenomenology on the pure intuition and the Heideggerian suggestion of staying on the short route of fundamental ontology, Jérôme de Gramont examined Ricoeurian hermeneutics. The lecturer showed metaphorically that the phenomenological paradise of presence is lost and asked whether ontology represents at this point the true promise land of philosophical thought. The innovativeness of this contribution consisted in its research into the promise land in Ricoeur‟s philosophy, concluding that it can be found in his philosophy of religion. Starting from Husserl‟s and Bergson‟s Lebensphilosophie, Robert Grzywacz analyzed the theme of life in Ricoeur‟s early works. This inquiry was developed with reference to the Philosophy of the Will4 and Memory, History, Forgetting5. I found very challenging the

P. Ricoeur, Philosophie de la volonté I. Le volontaire et l’involontaire, Aubier Montaigne, Paris, 1950, trans. by Erazim Kohak, Philosophy of the Will vol.1. Freedom and Nature: the Voluntary and the Involuntary, Northwestern University Press, Evanston, 1966; Philosophie de la volonté II. Finitude et 4

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attempt to read the question of life within a positive conception of oblivion. Therefore, the query of life arises on the basis of internal traces and memories. Developed in these terms, this investigation allowed the connection between phenomenology and neurology. Also Agustin Domingo Moratalla (Universidad de Valencia) focused on this relation. Included with Marjolaine Deschênes (EHESS Paris), Andrzej Wiercinski (Albert-LudwigsUniversität Freiburg), Ernst Wolff (University of Pretoria), and Manuel Prada Londoño (University of Barcelona) in a context of contributions dedicated to the relation between Ricoeur and some relevant contemporary problems, Agustin Domingo Moratalla examined the moral status of the neurosciences. The originality of the proposal rested on the critical dialogue between the Ricoeurian reflection, Changeaux‟s speculations, and the neurosciences. This analysis permitted regaining a conception of conscience connected not only to the brain‟s functions but to the entire body. Thus, thought has to be originated from within the human being and is inherently bound to its corporeality beyond any monistic or dualistic perspective. Referring to The Course of Recognition6, where Ricoeur quotes the works of the feminist anthropologist Françoise Heritier to explain the recognition of the self in the phenomenon of filiation, Marjolaine Deschênes stressed that the philosopher does not recognize the authenticity and the contribution of feminist anthropology. Moreover, the lecturer pointed out that in the same pages in which Ricoeur refers to Heritiers, he showed his debt to Pière Legende, known for his homophobic argumentations. Marjolaine Deschênes‟ lecture was a very stimulating discourse articulated through examination of the Ricoeurian conception of recognition, feminist anthropology, and the current questions of sexual and gender differences. Andrzej Wiercinski reflected instead on the gift of life and on the nature of human acting within actual society. Facing the domain of social atomism and the ontology of power, the presentation developed a tripartite hermeneutics of aging through an ontological approach to action, an ethical inquiry into the social and political aspects of aging which has to consider technological changes, and practical research into the responsibility of present institution to the well-being of elderly and needy people. Moreover, the speaker focused his attention on the aesthetics of Christianity and compassion towards alterity conceived as a source of an overabundant gift for our life. Ernst Wolff‟s and Manuel Prada Londoño‟s research framed Ricoeurian thought on the struggle for recognition in relation to the historical situation of their native countries: South Africa and Colombia. Considering the «states of peace» in the last section of Course of Recognition and in the works of Luc Boltanski, the first speaker focused on the acts of resistance undertaken toward institutionalized violence. He proposed an original connection between the clarification of these actions and the discourse of Nelson Mandela in the Rivonia trial. Also, the second lecturer called into question legal recognition and its dual object: legal rules and the protection of others. The paper was driven by the attempt to apply Ricoeur‟s reflection on recognition to the discussion of criminal justice in Colombia.

culpabilité. L’homme faillible, Aubier, Paris, 1960, trans. by Charles A. Kelbley, Philosophy of the Will vol.2. Fallible Man, Fordham University Press, New York, 1967. 5 P. Ricoeur, La mémoire, l’histoire, l’oubli, Seuil, Paris, 2000, trans. by Kathleen Blamey and David Pellauer, Memory, History, Forgetting, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2004. 6 P. Ricoeur, Parcours de la reconnaissance, Éditions Stock, Paris, 2004, trans. by David Pellauer, The Course of Recognition, Harvard University Press, Harvard, 2005.

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2) Imagination, justice, and practical wisdom in the Ricoeurian philosophy of action The second group of interventions looked at the philosophy of action, justice, and socialpolitical inquiry in Ricoeur‟s thought, reflecting on the theoretical fundamentals within a critical study. George Taylor (University of Pittsburgh) and Roger Savage (University of California, Los Angeles) examined the subject of imagination within the political and social context. The contribution of George Taylor took under consideration the function of the productive imagination in Ricoeur‟s thought. Under the lens of phenomenology, the proposal explained this new conception of imagination and its productive power through the theory of intentionality, of fiction, and iconic argumentation. The lecturer highlighted that imagination and utopias are necessary to accomplish the remaking of our social world. Starting from Ricoeur‟s critique on social theories, Roger Savage described the utopian role of imagination and supports its vital necessity for the renewal of praxis. The research initially stressed the theme of imagination in aesthetic experience: in literature, music, and arts. Furthermore, the lecturer transposed these arguments to the ethical and political spheres reflecting on the logic of hope. Marion Stahl (Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt) presented the different Ricoeurian approaches to the phenomenon of the just: anthropological, phenomenological-hermeneutic, and legal. The analysis began with the investigation of the just in the “little ethics” of Oneself as Another7, and concentrated on the connection between the subject of rights, the law, and responsibility in the Ricoeurian practical philosophy. 3) The ethical and anthropological perspectives and Ricoeurian influence on the human sciences The anthropology of capabilities, the relation with alterity, the attestation of the self, the questions of secularity, of public space, and interreligious dialogue represented the focal cores around which were involved the presentations about ethics proposed by Todd Mei (University of Dundee), Morny Joy (University of Calgary), Marek Drwiega (Uniwersytet Jagiellonski), Adriana Warmbier (Uniwersytet Jagiellonski), Adam J. Graves (Metropolitan State University of Denver), Krzysztof Mech (Uniwersytet Jagiellonski), Tomas Domingo Moratalla (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), and Maria Cristina Clorinda Vendra (Università di Chieti-Pescara). Todd Mei showed the different types of beliefs that arise in the Ricoeurian philosophical anthropology. The speaker focused on the distinction between belief-in and belief-that, appraising the Ricoeurian attempt to legitimate a type of belief beyond the categories of doxa and episteme. Regarding Ricoeur‟s anthropology, Morny Joy reflected on actions, human capabilities, and recognition. The proposal gave an account of the concept of action within Ricoeurian phenomenology and hermeneutics, passing through the speculation on the will and the text, and the semantic and symbolic analysis of action. The lecturer examined the relationship between actions, intentions, and the power of acting (“I can”). Moreover, connecting Ricoeur‟s thought to Hannah Arendt, Morny Joy reflected on homo capax, as an acting and suffering being which is responsible for its acts. Marek Drwiega and Adriana Warmbier investigated the conception of relational identity in the works Oneself as Another and Course of Recognition. The first lecturer reread the P. Ricoeur, Soi-même comme un autre, Seuil, Paris, 1990, trans. by Kathleen Blamey, Oneself as Another, Chicago University Press, Chicago, 1992. 7

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relation with alterity through the comparison between Ricoeur‟s and Emmanuel Levinas‟ thought. The speaker suggested a critical analysis on the asymmetry of the relation with the other proposed by the Lithuanian philosopher, and on the notions of reciprocity, mutual recognition, and generosity in Ricoeur‟s work. Also, Adriana Warmbier explored the relational concept of identity, its non-auto-foundational character, and its noncoincidence. This intervention highlighted the difference between mêmété and ipseité, and reflected on the type of alterity corresponding to these two models of identity. The notion of attestation and the theory of speech acts were at the bottom of Adam J. Graves‟ presentation. The lecture recalled Ricoeur‟s early works and proposed, referring to analysis of the act of confession, a clarification of the complex relation between moral responsibility, attestation of the self, and narrative identity. In the same way, Krzysztof Mech explained the Ricoeurian conception of subjectivity within the linguistic sphere. The presentation clarified the connection between the Ricoeurian pre-semantic reflection on the consciousness of the self through desire and the semantic distinction between meaning and sense. The lectures of Tomas Domingo Moratalla and Maria Cristina Clorinda Vendra suggested a joint discussion on secularization, public space, and interreligious dialogue. The first speaker explored the Ricoeurian conception of laicité positive and presented two types of secularization: laicité-marché and laicité-agorà, which means a negative and a positive secularization, a secularization of abstention and a secularization of confrontation. The speaker tried to understand the place of secularization within the renewal of the public space, pointing out the demanding question of the education needed for deliberation into the social context. The reflection on the public sphere found its place also in the paper of Maria Cristina Clorinda Vendra. Entirely in agreement with Tomas Domingo Moratalla, the lecturer stressed that the Ricoeurian hermeneutics gives important elements for rethinking plurality in the social space. Maria Cristina Clorinda Vendra took a further step by applying the hermeneutics of translation to interreligious dialogue. The originality of the presentation consisted in the suggestion of a new reflexive „we‟ and in the formulation of a „hermeneutics of interdependent cohabitation‟ inspired by Ricoeurian philosophy. 4) Ricoeurian contribution to the philosophy of religion The conference hosted also some very interesting papers on the Ricoeurian contribution to the philosophy of religion. Starting from the distinction between the Heideggerian terms of attestation and the Nabertian term of testimony, Carla Canullo (Università di Macerata) reflected on the relationship between radical evil and hope in the Ricoeurian speculation on the religious phenomenon. Through analysis on homo capax as bearer of the religious message, the lecturer focused on the place of religion in human existence. The religious phenomenon is what allows the renewal and the improvement of human capabilities, which are touched by evil, and opens us towards hope. Karol Tarnowski (Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawla II) showed the relation between the notion of sacral manifestation, the biblical revelation of the Word, and testimony, one of the central terms in Ricoeurian philosophy. The proposal highlighted that at the center of Ricoeur‟s hermeneutics there is the problem of evil conceived as a challenge for human reason and human freedom. The hermeneutic field is characterized by truth as revelation, which proves the dependence of the human, and this is irreducible to objective truth. The speaker concluded by saying that, from the point of view of reason, hermeneutics has two limits: the secret and the mystery. Based on the theme of evil and human culpability in Ricoeurian thought, René Dentz (Jesuit Faculty of Belo Horizonte) analyzed the problems of sin, human vulnerability, and forgiveness. The speaker suggested that according to Ricoeur‟s religious creed, God 405

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recognizes the fragility of humans, and this leads to an alliance fed with unconditional love, which allows for redemption from sinful actions. Tomoaki Yamada (EHESS Paris) and Nicola Stricker (IPT Paris) reflected on Ricoeurian speculation as a “philosophie sans absolu”. Reclaiming the posthumous work Vivant jusqu’à la mort8, the first lecturer focused on existential resistance, the value of life, and the difficult course of reconciliation between the refusal and the consent of death. This contribution examined the theme of the mémoire de Dieu, highliting the reception and the influence of Pierre Thévenaz in the last years of Ricoeur‟s life. Even if Ricoeur‟s philosophy cannot be considered as a theology, an ontotheology, or a philosophy of religion, Nicola Stricker proposed some theological implications of Ricoeurian anthropology. The speculation on human nature and its constitutive principles, the reflection on the text and the narrative identity, the conception of the human as agent and suffering being, and the responsibility for its actions, are inherently connected to the religious themes of creation, sin, resurrection, revelation, conversion, and judgment. The human, who finds its place between being and nothingness, is moved by the desire to be and recognizes the miracle of being born. In conclusion, these days of the Congress, which were animated by the spirit of être ensemble creatifs, do not invite us to look back nostalgically to the thought of Paul Ricoeur, but encourage us to move his work towards the future thanks to the engagement with these experiences.

P. Ricoeur, Vivant jusqu’à la mort, Seuil, Paris, 2007, trans. by David Pellauer, Living up to Death, Chicago University Press, Chicago, 2009. 8

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