Oneself as Another (1990/1992) by Paul Ricoeur

When

I read this within the last year.

Why

While writing my paper on The Walking Dead (2022), I learned of this book as it was referenced in Johannes van der Ven’s Formation of the Moral Self (1998). So I purchased the book then but did not get around to reading it until fairly recently. I am glad I did. As much as I enjoyed van der Ven’s book, I was glad to also come across another Christian philosopher who, while taking up some of the same issues, does so in a different way or with a different emphasis.

How

Some of his ideas I find interesting and that I am still thinking through, include his distinction between ethical and moral aims/considerations, what I consider the paradox of justice (i.e., injustice is ubiquitous but knowing the proper way to maintain just relations is not), and the role he gives the norm of reciprocity (e.g., a version of this being the Golden Rule) in understanding the human story. His book informs my upcoming papers on Daredevil and the X-Men.