Although there has always been a hermeneutic problem in Christianity, the hermeneutic question today seems to us a new one.
Paul RicoeurRead
On a cosmic scale, our life is insignificant, yet this brief period when we appear in the world is the time in which all meaningful questions arise.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our lives may seem small in the vastness of the universe, but the questions we face during our lifetime are profoundly significant.
Paul Ricoeur emphasizes the contrast between the vast, seemingly indifferent cosmos and the extraordinary significance of human existence. While our individual lives may appear insignificant on a cosmic scale, it is within this fleeting moment that we grapple with the deepest and most meaningful questions about existence, purpose, and our place in the universe. This highlights the value of our experiences and inquiries, as they define our humanity despite the enormity of the cosmos.
Themes
LifeSignificanceExistenceQuestionsMeaning
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the purpose of life, this quote can underline the importance of asking profound questions.
More from Paul Ricoeur
All quotes βThe narrative constructs the identity of the character, what can be called his or her narrative identity, in constructing that of the story told. It is the identity of the story that makes the identity of the character.
Paul RicoeurRead
If it is true that there is always more than one way of construing a text, it is not true that all interpretations are equal.
Paul RicoeurRead
But myth is something else than an explanation of the world, of history, and of destiny. Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence. Hence to demythologize is to interpret myth, that is, to relate the objective representations of the myth to the self-understanding which is both shown and concealed in it.
Paul RicoeurRead
Testimony demands to be interpreted because of the dialectic of meaning and event that traverses it.
Paul RicoeurRead
Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence.
Paul RicoeurRead
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