Paul Ricoeur [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION "Genres are not to be mixed. I will not mix genres." —Jacques Derrida h ini s B o o K is precisely a mix of genres. The first chapter is a biographical essay, not a biography as a historian would write it. It lacks the detail, the __intense documentation, and the proper "distance" of a true history. The second chapter is even more personal; it is a memoir of Paul Ricoeur as told by a student who became his friend; a friend whom he invited to live in his house and know his family; a friend who became a confidant. So my memoir seeks to paint a portrait of a philosopher, an "acting and suffering human"; at the same time, I intend to exercise the responsibility of a confidant. This requirement, in particular, forces me to run a risk. How much needs to be said.' How much am I permitted to say.' If I must offend, my principle is to offend the reader who may want to know more, rather than to offend my friend. There is another dme . . . and another author of a complete history, if such is wanted or if such is warranted. The third chapter is a philosophical essay, not an argument for a particular point in a philosophical debate, not an explanation of a difficult text, not even a critique of the arguments. Rather, it is an essay with the dual goals of showing Ricoeur's philosophical style and some of his main points. But, more important, it is a tribute to a professor by way of what one of his students has learned about philosophy from him. Finally, 1 contribute four unpublished interviews with Paul Ricoeur which I made over the course of ten years. These interviews let Paul speak with his own voice to the questions that occupied us at various periods over a long friendship. They are mostly about his philosophical works and interests at the time. I am especially pleased with the last one, which is much more personal than the preceding three. When I began this project, in 1980, Paul told me two things: "No one is interested in my life," and "My life is my work, I mean, my books and my articles." I disagree with both of these claims, although the latter is closer to the truth than the former. This is why the biographical essay is marked, cadenced even, with the articles and the books that gained for Paul Ricoeur the acclaim he has received. There is no doubt that intellectual pursuits, from his school days to the prolific publications of his "retirement," are at the center of his life. Even his five