Signification et réflexivité dans la philosophie de Ricœur

• Main Author: Philippe Lacour
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2020-07-01
• Series: Études Ricoeuriennes / Ricoeur Studies
• Subjects: signification; réflexivité; discours; niveaux spéculatifs; traduction
• Online Access: http://ricoeur.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/ricoeur/article/view/497

In this article, I investigate Ricœur’s definition of philosophy by addressing two of its most fundamental conditions: meaning, which somehow constitutes its inner material, and reflexivity, which is the principle of its dynamic articulation. I proceed in two steps. First, I distinguish five different levels of discourse, underlining the originality of each of them: descriptive, transphrastic, self-comprehensive, anthropological, metaphysical. Then I explain the role played by reflexivity, both in its intra- and inter-semiotic dimension, in delimitating these various levels and helping the transition from one to another. In conclusion, I show that the whole of Ricœur’s philosophy can be characterized by a confidence in language, in its both obstinate and cautious effort to “enlighten existence” by pushing the limits of its fontiers.