Action, Intersubjectivity and Narrative Identity Action, Intersubjectivity and Narrative Identity: Essays on Critical Hermeneutics By Vinicio Busacchi Action, Intersubjectivity and Narrative Identity: Essays on Critical Hermeneutics By Vinicio Busacchi This book first published 2019 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2019 by Vinicio Busacchi All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-4045-6 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-4045-3 CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 Part I Methodology Chapter 1 .................................................................................................. 12 The Ricoeurianwards Way: a Critical Toneutics Herme foran the Hum and Social Sciences 1.1 Preamble 1.2 Whatcal is CritiHermeneutics? 1.3 Between Hermeneuticsand Critique of Ideology 1.4 Paul Ricoeur’s Philosophy as an Interdisciplinary Procedure 1.5 Conclusion Chapter 2 .................................................................................................. 25 Textuality foras a Hermeneutics Paradigm 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Around Critical Hermeneutics 2.3 Around the Paradigm of the Text 2.4. Conclusion Chapter 3 .................................................................................................. 34 Hermeneutics “Reloaded”:cience/Philosophy From S Dichotomy to Critical Hermeneutics 3.1 Introduction: Persistent Hermeneutics’ Legitimacy and Its Paradoxes 3.2 Hermeneutics Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow 3.3 Hermeneutics and Ontology 3.4 Hermeneutics and Epistemology 3.5 Critical Hermeneutics Chapter 4 .................................................................................................. 50 Ricoeur and Habermas:a Hermeneutical-Critical Towards Theory 4.1 Introduction 4.2 From Sociology to Philosophy of Recognition: Habermas’ Intersubjective communication vi Contents 4.3 Between Psychology and Sociology: Ricoeur’s Philosophy of Recognition 4.4 Conclusion Chapter 5 .................................................................................................. 58 Why Reality Is Not Introduction Totalisable:’s to An Paul Ricoeur Philosophy of Action 5.1 Preamble 5.2 From the Phenomenology of the Voluntary to the Hermeneutics of the Text 5.3 From Structuralism’snges to a Semantics Challe of Action 5.4 From Philosophy a Hermeneutical of Action to Philosophy of the Self 5.5. From Capacity to Initiative Part II For a New Understanding of the Human Being Chapter 6 .................................................................................................. 70 The Human and Its Discourse: From Fragmentation to Unification 6.1 Preamble 6.2 General Charactersa Critical Hermeneutics of 6.3 The Metamorphoses of a Philosophical Anthropology 6.4 From the Logic of a Non-Substantialist to the Philosophy of Person Paradox of a Trapped Personality between Representationn and Ski 6.5 The Solution of an Integrated, Dynamic Humanism Chapter 7 .................................................................................................. 89 Habermas and Ricoeuron: Toward on Recogniti a Newsm Social Humani 7.1 Preamble 7.2 The Intersubjectivity in Habermas’ Social Theory 7.3 The Intersubjectivity in Ricoeur’s Philosophy 7.4 A Conclusion Chapter 8 ................................................................................................ 108 Semantics of Action:n between Human Motivation Actioion and Causat 8.1 Introduction: A Comprehensive Approach on the Human Being 8.2 Philosophy of Action between Causation and Motivation 8.3 From a Linguistic-Phenomenological Analysis to a Practical- Speculative Phenomenology 8.4 From Anscombe and Davidson’s Approach to Ricoeur’s Critical Hermeneutics Action, Intersubjectivity andvii Narrative Identity 8.5 From the Phenomenology of then Body to the Dialectics betwee Motivation, Causation and Desire 8.6 Conclusions Part III Rebalancing Narrative Identity Chapter 9 ................................................................................................ 126 Telling a Life: Narration and Personal Identity 9.1 Preamble 9.2 A Tensional Mediation 9.3 The Problem of Narrative Identity 9.4 Conclusion Chapter 10 .............................................................................................. 139 Imagining maginationa Life: On I and Identity 10.1 Preamble 10.2 Imagination Today 10.3 Looking for a Narrative-Hermeneutic Approach 10.4 The Two Sides of Imagination 10.5 On Narration, Recognition and Personal Emancipation 10.6 Conclusion Chapter 11 .............................................................................................. 154 Image and Representationin Historical Knowledge 11.1 The Question of Representation 11.2 The Mechanism of Representation 11.3 The Representation of the Past 11.4 Conclusion Chapter 12 .............................................................................................. 169 Justice Through Recognition: From Philosophy to Action 12.1 Preamble 12.2 Psychology and Recognition 12.3 Sociology and Recognition 12.4 Politics and Recognition 12.5 Conclusion References .............................................................................................. 184 INTRODUCTION In dissonance with the famous koinéthesis of of hermeneutics as a new contemporary philosophy,meneutical the field her be today seems to fragmented and more and more marginalised.ics and Of course, hermeneut philosophical hermeneuticse continue horizon ofto offer a great deal on th contemporary philosophy. On thecal other hand, however, hermeneuti philosophy is currently practiced, in the in such varied and vague ways most unlikely territories, andand under such dubious disciplinary procedural amalgamations, that koiné didit is beginning to seem that the not so much concern the interrelationd facts or between interpretation an the antecedencerpretation of inte beforead facts, abuse as of the widespre the very ideace of or anteceden predominance. How can we continue to supportkoiné the in light idea of hermeneutics as of this? First of all, we must abandon theianni interpretative extension of G Vattimo’s proposition and return to his circumscribed idea that “hermeneuticskoiné of philosophy,is the or more generally, of the culture of the eighties” (Vattimo 1987).ainly This makes is a downsizing that cert this thesis more acceptable evenarginalise if it tends to counterpoise, m and misrecognise the role and growing importance of analytical philosophy. At the same time,lps it representsus to a rereading that he properly (re-)establishecific proposal themeneutics sp of a critical that her Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) – who fconstitutes this the main reference o book – advances in that same period,derstanding prospecting a different un of the role and position of philosophicalicoeur uses hermeneutics today. R philosophy to work between philosophyetween and science, as well as b the so-called “continental”phy, philosophy giving and “analytical” philoso them equal importance.cal hermeneutics His criti, both fully in reflects methodology and speculative development, this vast the characteristics of and tensional philosophical work. Starting from another speculativechard Rorty tradition and perspective, Ri aims to realise something similar: “analytical a dialectical bridge between world” and “continentalPhilosophy world”. in America today In his work 2 Introduction (1981) he advances exactly this the idea with the full awareness of respective philosophical cultural differences. and Critical hermeneutics“container” is not thatary a collectscorpus of a unit answers, argumentssee Bayón or theories 2006,a school,26). ( It is a not tradition or an ideological movement,exercise but essentially a way to philosophical hermeneutics in on connection the with other procedures, field of practicaltical and/or philosophy, theoretween as well as be philosophy and science, or amongis of philosophies a and sciences. It certain interest to consider then B. interpretation advanced by Joh Thompson and Charlesreading E. Reagan, Ricoeur’s dre approach an proposal as a way to hermeneuticallysocial restructure the human and sciences or, rather, as a way as to a consider science critical hermeneutics (see Thompson 1991; Reagan 1991). The option of hermeneutical humanboth andon a social sciences operates theoretical-methodologicalstemologicalt andbasis, does epi not even if i seem to properly reflect Ricoeur’say. project in a comprehensive w Ricoeur refusesboth the aattempt philosophical atf the levelling o sciences and a scientific levellingand, a of philosophy. On the one h methodological caland modelepistemologi can be extracted from Ricoeur’s philosophybeing able itself, to tivelywork and, interpreta and analytically-descriptively,y be used for human sciences. it maand social On the other hand,hensive such a andcompre flexibleas approach w conceived by Ricoeur for a differentose, that and more vast kind of purp is, to provide comprehensive knowledgeut in of the human being: to p connection and dialogue all (scientificcourses and non-scientific) dis around the human. Clearly, beingphilosophical this is a task.