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| − | =Paul Ricoeur=
| + | [[File:Paul_Ricoeur_Balzan.png|400px|right]] |
| | + | '''Paul Ricoeur''' (1913-2005) was a French philosopher whose work explored interpretation, language, narrative, action and personal identity. His writing on metaphor is particularly concerned with the creation of meaning, rather than treating a metaphor as decorative wording for something already fully expressed. |
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| − | [[File:Paul_Ricoeur_Balzan.png|400px|right]]Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) was a French philosopher and intellectual, renowned for his work in phenomenology, hermeneutics, and the philosophy of language. His writings spanned various disciplines, including theology, psychoanalysis, and literary theory, and his ideas have had a profound impact on contemporary philosophy and the humanities.
| + | == Life and recognition == |
| | + | Ricoeur taught in France and at the University of Chicago, where the university records his teaching appointment as 1971-1991. He was the John Nuveen Professor Emeritus in the Divinity School. He died on 20 May 2005. [https://chronicle.uchicago.edu/050609/obit-ricoeur.shtml University of Chicago obituary.] |
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| − | Paul Ricoeur was born on 27 February 1913 in Valence, France. He lost both his parents during World War I and was raised by his paternal grandparents in Rennes, Brittany. Ricoeur initially studied at the University of Rennes and later moved to the Sorbonne in Paris, where he studied philosophy under prominent thinkers such as Gabriel Marcel and Jean Wahl.
| + | He received the [https://www.balzan.org/en/prizewinners/paul-ricoeur Balzan Prize for Philosophy in 1999] and the [https://www.kyotoprize.org/en/laureates/paul_ricoeur/ Kyoto Prize in 2000]. |
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| − | In 1935, Ricoeur completed his first major work, a thesis on the German philosopher Edmund Husserl, which earned him a diploma from the École Normale Supérieure. He continued to study and teach philosophy until World War II, during which he was taken prisoner and held in a German camp. It was during his time in captivity that he deepened his philosophical reflections, engaging in discussions with fellow prisoners and reading extensively. | + | == Metaphor and the creation of meaning == |
| | + | In ''La métaphore vive'' (1975), known in English as ''The Rule of Metaphor'', Ricoeur examines how metaphorical discourse can generate meaning. The study moves between words, sentences and wider discourse, and considers resemblance, reference and the relation between metaphor and philosophy. [https://www.routledge.com/link/link/p/book/9781138128514 Publisher's account and contents.] |
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| − | After the war, Ricoeur held several teaching positions in French universities, including the University of Strasbourg, the Sorbonne, and the University of Nanterre. In 1965, he began a fruitful association with the University of Chicago, where he served as the John Nuveen Professor of Philosophical Theology and later as a professor emeritus. He remained active in both French and American academic circles throughout his career.
| + | One useful distinction is between replacing a word with a familiar equivalent and understanding a new relation expressed by a whole statement. If a metaphor changes how a subject is seen, a simple literal paraphrase may fail to preserve what the expression contributes. The interpretation concerns the statement in context, not merely the isolated word that looks figurative. |
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| − | == Contributions to Philosophy: ==
| + | Ricoeur described metaphor and narrative as related areas of investigation in his own [https://www.balzan.org/fr/laureats/paul-ricoeur/synthese-panoramique 1999 account of his philosophical work]. Both concern the production of meaning, although a metaphorical statement and the organisation of events into a narrative are not the same thing. |
| − | Ricoeur's philosophical work is characterised by its interdisciplinary nature and its focus on the problems of interpretation and understanding. Some of his key contributions include:
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| − | ::'''Phenomenology and Hermeneutics''': Ricoeur's early work was rooted in the tradition of phenomenology, particularly the work of Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. He later developed a hermeneutic approach to philosophy, emphasising the importance of interpretation in understanding human experience. His book "Freud and Philosophy: An Essay on Interpretation" (1965) is a seminal work in this area, as it explores the intersection of phenomenology, hermeneutics, and psychoanalysis.
| + | == Interpretation and context == |
| | + | Ricoeur's work invites attention to what an expression makes possible for a reader or listener to understand. This differs from assuming that every image is a code with one hidden equivalent. A reading should be answerable to the wording and context, while recognising that interpretation is an activity rather than a mechanical substitution. |
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| − | ::'''Philosophy of Language''': Ricoeur was deeply interested in the nature of language and its role in shaping human thought and action. His work on metaphor, narrative, and discourse has been influential in the fields of linguistics, literary theory, and the philosophy of language. His book "The Rule of Metaphor" (1975) is a key text in the study of metaphor and its cognitive function.
| + | For this wiki, that distinction is useful when comparing literary metaphors, everyday idioms and personal descriptions. The philosophical discussion does not itself specify a method for eliciting or changing someone's metaphor. |
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| − | ::'''Ethics and the Philosophy of Action''': Ricoeur's later work focused on ethical questions and the nature of human action. He explored topics such as personal identity, moral responsibility, and the role of narrative in shaping human life. His three-volume work "Time and Narrative" (1983-1985) and his book "Oneself as Another" (1990) are central to these investigations.
| + | == Selected reading == |
| | + | * ''La métaphore vive'' (1975); English title ''The Rule of Metaphor''. The linked [https://www.routledge.com/link/link/p/book/9781138128514 Routledge edition] provides the contents and edition details. |
| | + | * ''Time and Narrative'', his three-volume investigation of narrative and time, discussed in the [https://www.kyotoprize.org/en/laureates/paul_ricoeur/ Kyoto Prize profile]. |
| | + | * ''Oneself as Another'', on selfhood and the relation to others, also discussed in the Kyoto profile. |
| | + | * [https://www.balzan.org/fr/laureats/paul-ricoeur/synthese-panoramique Ricoeur's own retrospective account], delivered for the Balzan Prize in 1999 (French). |
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| − | Throughout his career, Paul Ricoeur received numerous awards and honours, including the prestigious Balzan Prize (2000) and the Kyoto Prize (2004) for his contributions to philosophy. He was also a member of several learned societies, such as the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
| + | == Related pages == |
| | + | * [[Interaction Theories of Metaphor]] |
| | + | * [[Metaphor, Context and Speaker Meaning]] |
| | + | * [[Metaphor and Personal Narratives]] |
| | + | * [[Metaphor Categories]] |
| | + | * [[Idiomatic, Literal and Figurative Communication]] |
| | + | * [[George Lakoff]] |
| | + | * [[Semiotics]] |
| | + | * [[Stories and literature]] |
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| − | Ricoeur passed away on 20 May 2005 in Châtenay-Malabry, France.
| + | == Browse the library == |
| | + | [[:Category:People and authors|People and authors]] |
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| − | == Metaphor ==
| + | [[Subject index]] | [[Stories and literature]] | [[Special:AllPages|All articles A-Z]] |
| − | Paul Ricoeur's contributions to the study of metaphor have had a significant impact on the fields of philosophy, linguistics, and literary theory. In his groundbreaking book, "The Rule of Metaphor" (1975), Ricoeur provided a comprehensive analysis of metaphor and its role in shaping human thought and language.
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| − | Ricoeur's approach to metaphor is rooted in his broader philosophical interests, particularly in hermeneutics and the philosophy of language. He viewed metaphor as a fundamental aspect of human communication and understanding, as it allows us to convey abstract or complex ideas through concrete images and comparisons. Ricoeur argued that metaphor is not merely a decorative or rhetorical device, but a crucial means of creating meaning and exploring the world.
| + | [[Category:People and authors]] |
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| − | One of Ricoeur's key insights is the idea that metaphor involves a "semantic innovation." In a metaphorical expression, words are used in a novel way that deviates from their conventional, literal meaning. This innovative use of language generates a tension between the literal and metaphorical meanings, which, according to Ricoeur, is central to the cognitive function of metaphor.
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| − | Ricoeur also developed the concept of the "metaphorical twist," which refers to the process by which a metaphor creates a new meaning through the juxtaposition of two seemingly unrelated concepts. This twist occurs when the literal meaning of a word is "suspended" in favour of a metaphorical interpretation, leading to a creative reinterpretation of the concepts involved. For example, in the metaphor "Life is a journey," the word "journey" undergoes a metaphorical twist, causing us to reinterpret our understanding of life in terms of a journey, with its associated ideas of progress, challenges, and destination.
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| − | Furthermore, Ricoeur emphasised the role of imagination in the creation and understanding of metaphor. He argued that metaphorical language engages the reader's or listener's imagination, allowing them to envision new connections and possibilities. This imaginative engagement enables us to transcend the limitations of literal language and explore new ways of thinking and understanding the world around us.
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| − | Ricoeur also explored the relationship between metaphor and narrative, highlighting their shared capacity for meaning-making and their ability to shape human experience. He believed that both metaphor and narrative are fundamental to human thought and communication, as they enable us to construct meaningful stories and conceptual frameworks.
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| − | =Selected Publications=
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| − | Below is a list of significant publications on metaphor by Paul Ricoeur, a prominent French philosopher and phenomenologist, who made substantial contributions to the study of metaphor and its implications for language, thought, and meaning. This list includes books, essays, and articles that showcase Ricoeur's in-depth analysis and understanding of the metaphorical aspects of language.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1975). La métaphore vive. Paris: Éditions du Seuil. (English translation: Ricoeur, P. (1977). The Rule of Metaphor: Multi-disciplinary Studies of the Creation of Meaning in Language. Translated by R. Czerny with K. McLaughlin and J. Costello. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.) | |
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1981). Hermeneutics and the Human Sciences: Essays on Language, Action and Interpretation. Edited and translated by J. B. Thompson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1984). Time and Narrative, Volume 1. Translated by K. McLaughlin and D. Pellauer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1985). Time and Narrative, Volume 2. Translated by K. McLaughlin and D. Pellauer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1988). Time and Narrative, Volume 3. Translated by K. McLaughlin and D. Pellauer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1991). A Ricoeur Reader: Reflection and Imagination. Edited by M. Valdés. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1991). From Text to Action: Essays in Hermeneutics, II. Translated by K. Blamey and J. B. Thompson. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (1995). Figuring the Sacred: Religion, Narrative, and Imagination. Edited by M. I. Wallace. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (2000). The Just. Translated by D. Pellauer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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| − | ::Ricoeur, P. (2004). The Conflict of Interpretations: Essays in Hermeneutics. Edited by D. Ihde. London: Continuum.
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Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) was a French philosopher whose work explored interpretation, language, narrative, action and personal identity. His writing on metaphor is particularly concerned with the creation of meaning, rather than treating a metaphor as decorative wording for something already fully expressed.
Life and recognition
Ricoeur taught in France and at the University of Chicago, where the university records his teaching appointment as 1971-1991. He was the John Nuveen Professor Emeritus in the Divinity School. He died on 20 May 2005. University of Chicago obituary.
He received the Balzan Prize for Philosophy in 1999 and the Kyoto Prize in 2000.
Metaphor and the creation of meaning
In La métaphore vive (1975), known in English as The Rule of Metaphor, Ricoeur examines how metaphorical discourse can generate meaning. The study moves between words, sentences and wider discourse, and considers resemblance, reference and the relation between metaphor and philosophy. Publisher's account and contents.
One useful distinction is between replacing a word with a familiar equivalent and understanding a new relation expressed by a whole statement. If a metaphor changes how a subject is seen, a simple literal paraphrase may fail to preserve what the expression contributes. The interpretation concerns the statement in context, not merely the isolated word that looks figurative.
Ricoeur described metaphor and narrative as related areas of investigation in his own 1999 account of his philosophical work. Both concern the production of meaning, although a metaphorical statement and the organisation of events into a narrative are not the same thing.
Interpretation and context
Ricoeur's work invites attention to what an expression makes possible for a reader or listener to understand. This differs from assuming that every image is a code with one hidden equivalent. A reading should be answerable to the wording and context, while recognising that interpretation is an activity rather than a mechanical substitution.
For this wiki, that distinction is useful when comparing literary metaphors, everyday idioms and personal descriptions. The philosophical discussion does not itself specify a method for eliciting or changing someone's metaphor.
Selected reading
- La métaphore vive (1975); English title The Rule of Metaphor. The linked Routledge edition provides the contents and edition details.
- Time and Narrative, his three-volume investigation of narrative and time, discussed in the Kyoto Prize profile.
- Oneself as Another, on selfhood and the relation to others, also discussed in the Kyoto profile.
- Ricoeur's own retrospective account, delivered for the Balzan Prize in 1999 (French).
Related pages
Browse the library
People and authors
Subject index | Stories and literature | All articles A-Z
