Narrative identity according to Paul Ricoeur

The definition of identity, as well as its search and construction, is one of the most recurring themes in philosophy and psychology since its very beginnings. With the concept of narrative identity, Paul Ricoeur marked a before and after, by equating this aspect of the human being with the construction of a story.

In this article we will explore this character and his theory, linking it with personal identity. Don’t miss anything, because you are facing one of the most long-awaited unknowns of human beings.

The author of narrative identity: Paul Ricoeur

Paul Ricoeur was a French philosopher born in 1913, whose figure left an important legacy in hermeneutics and ethics. His vision drew on phenomenological philosophy and analytics, which gave rise to a unique approach of integrated concepts and disciplinary diversity.

In an account of his life and work, published in the book Paul Ricoeur (2019), the following is stated: «His work addresses themes such as will, action, identity, the question of time, history, interpretation… ».

It was in his work Self as other (1990) where he addressed personal identity as the ability of individuals to give meaning to their existence through narrative.. For him, the essence of a person is not determined, but is constructed and, furthermore, flows.

Ricoeur highlighted the role of introspection and reflection in building personal identity.

Paul Ricoeur received several awards throughout his career, such as the Paul VI or the John W. Kluge, both close to the year of his death, 2005. He dedicated his life to studying human transcendence and his legacy still influences us today. .

What is narrative identity?

The notion of this concept is based on the fact that identity is constructed in the same way that the individual tells a story. Therefore, We constitute ourselves as people through narrative capacity and being actors within our own stories.

This action involves selecting and organizing experiences within a coherent and meaningful narrative. In this way, a sense of continuity is created and self-knowledge is developed. The subject, therefore, has an active and dynamic role in his or her construction of identity.

However, This creation of narrative identity also involves interaction with others. That is where the role of shared experiences comes in, which are the nexus of other people’s stories and our own. Thus, said identity would be influenced by other people’s speech.

Our identities are intertwined through narratives.

As we acquire life experiences and their narratives become integrated into our identity, many aspects of it are reinterpreted and change. Narrative identity invites us to reflect on our own history to reinterpret it and evolve.

personal identity

In contrast to Ricoeur’s narrative identity is the concept of personal identity. This consists of the perception that each individual has of himself, continuous and coherent.

Although this identity is built through the narration and integration of new experiences (personal and shared), it differs in that it refers to the unique part that differentiates each individual. That is to say, Personal identity is the stable and enduring aspects of personality.

Are narrative and personal identity opposite concepts?

When talking about its changing or static nature, it might seem that both types of identity are in contrast. However, it is more about complementarity.

Personal identity brings together the pillars on which to tell our story. It is continuity over time and the feeling of personal stability, since feeling that our identity changes with each new experience (instead of integrating it into a coherent discourse) would be problematic for mental health.

The narrative identity, for its part, would be the engine that makes the person evolve. It is a dynamic process that allows the new “episodes” of one’s life to be integrated into a coherent discourse. In this way, with this type of identity you reflect, grow as a person and face future challenges.

Narrative identity also encompasses the ethical aspect of personality, since through it one’s own history is reinterpreted based on new events.

A theory to reflect on

In short, the combination between the constant and the dynamic is what has made Paul Ricoeur’s theory as diverse as it is integrated. While respecting the continuity of identity, it provides the subject with an active capacity to rewrite it and make it evolve. All this without losing coherence or forgetting social influence.

While identity remains a mystery as far from being solved as the mind itself, Ricoeur offered a complex approach to work from. Furthermore, he leaves an important reflection: How do we build our own stories? How do stories construct us? The key, according to the theory of narrative identity, is in this complex and at the same time beautiful interaction.

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