Charles Taylor and Paul Ricoeur on Self-Interpretations and Narrative Identity


Συγγραφέας: Arto Laitinen


Arto Laitinen: Charles Taylor and Paul Ricoeur on Self-Interpretations and Narrative Identity (pdf, 17 pages)
In this chapter I discuss Charles Taylor's and Paul Ricoeur's theories of narrative identity and narratives as a central form of self-interpretation.1 Both Taylor and Ricoeur think that self-identity is a matter of culturally and socially mediated self-definitions, which are practically relevant for one's orientation in life.2 First, I will go through various characterisations that Ricoeur gives of his theory, and try to show to what extent they also apply to Taylor's theory. Then, I will analyse more closely Charles Taylor's, and in section three, Paul Ricoeur's views on narrative identity.