Paul Ricœur and Metaphysics

In twentieth-century France, the word “metaphysics” had connotations of closed systems which claimed certainty for themselves. As a result, few dared to engage in metaphysical speculation. Ricœur, however, rejected this prevalent definition because he believed it came from Heidegger’s procrustean r...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Barnabas Aspray
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2024-12-01
Series:Études Ricoeuriennes / Ricoeur Studies
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Online Access:http://ricoeur.pitt.edu/ojs/ricoeur/article/view/680
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Summary:In twentieth-century France, the word “metaphysics” had connotations of closed systems which claimed certainty for themselves. As a result, few dared to engage in metaphysical speculation. Ricœur, however, rejected this prevalent definition because he believed it came from Heidegger’s procrustean reading of the history of philosophy. While agreeing that certainty and closure were neither desirable nor possible, Ricœur did make metaphysical claims. Following Jaspers’s revival of pre-modern apophatic metaphysics for which transcendence cannot be comprehended, Ricœur, in his early work, argued for “critical realism” against neo-Kantian idealism, “original affirmation” against Sartrean negativity, and the “metaphysical choice” of human freedom’s consent to the unchosen features of reality.
ISSN:2156-7808