Paul Ricoeur’s philosophical inquiry into selfhood offers a profound ethical and hermeneutical account of the relationship between the “one” and the “another”. Situated within his broader project of narrative identity and moral philosophy, Ricoeur challenges atomistic and purely subject-centered conceptions of the self by emphasizing relationality and alterity as constitutive of human identity. The problem addressed in this study is the persistent neglect of the ethical depth of this relational framework, particularly its implications for responsibility, recognition, and coexistence in contemporary societies marked by fragmentation and exclusion. The objective of the study is to critically analyze Ricoeur’s notion of the “one and another” in order to clarify its conceptual foundations and ethical significance. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative, interpretive approach grounded in hermeneutical textual analysis of Ricoeur’s Oneself as Another, supplemented by relevant secondary literature. The analysis focuses on key concepts such as ipseity, alterity, narrative identity, solicitude, and justice. The findings reveal that for Ricoeur, the self is not an isolated entity but is always mediated through the other; selfhood is realized through mutual recognition and ethical responsibility. The notion of solicitude emerges as a mediating ethical category that balances self-esteem with respect for the Other, thereby grounding moral action and social relations. The study concludes that Ricoeur’s analysis provides a coherent and compelling ethical vision in which identity and responsibility are inseparably linked. It recommends further application of this framework to contemporary ethical, social, and political challenges, particularly in pluralistic and multicultural contexts.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19360369
Writers:
Okewu Michael Peter
Claretian University of Nigeria,
Department of Philosophy
E:mail:
Okewupeter@yahoomail.com,
ORCID ID : 0009 0002 8721 5962