Philosphy of man

1. Julie Ann C. Balbutin
Karen Erese
Regina Rose Mata

2. Paul Ricoeur was among the most
impressive philosophers of the
20th century continental
philosophers, both in the unusual
breadth and depth of his
philosophical scholarship and in
the innovative nature of his
thought.
- he was a prolific writer, and
his work is essentially concerned
with that grand theme of
philosophy: the meaning of life

3. Ricoeur’s view on politics and
the state in three stages.
A. THE FIRST STAGE: THE DOUBLE
BIBLICAL “READING” OF THE STATE
- a first “reading” in terms of a “difficult
justification”—that of St. Paul which sees
the State in the figure of the
“Magistrate”.
-a second “reading” in terms of an
“obstinate mistrust”—that of St. John
which sees the State in the figure of the
“beast”.

4. 1. THE PAULINE INTERPRETATIONS OF
THE STATE
In chapter 13 of his epistle to the
Romans, St. Paul exhorts his Christian
listeners (who are subjugated citizens in an
ordered and relatively just State) to obey their
lawful authorities, not out fear of
punishment, but by a reason of conscience: St.
Paul tells his listeners: “The magistrate is
God’s minister for thy good…ruling
justly…...when he faithfully fulfills his duty”
(Romans 13:1-1).

5. 2. THE JOHANNINE INTERPRETATION
OF THE STATE.
-In the Chapter 13 of the Book of
Revelation, St. John speaks of a
wounded “beast” whose wound is
temporarily healed.
-It is the figure of this “beast”
which St. John uses to symbolize the
State as evil power.

6. B. THE SECOND STAGE: THE DOUBLE
HISTORY OF POWER
-Of what use is the double biblical
“reading” of the State? It can be of
immense service in orienting ourselves
politically.
The modern State simultaneously
advances on two fronts:
-the “institution” and the “power”.
-the promise of rationally and the
threat of violence.

7. 1. THE PROMISE OF RATIONALITY
-One can say that the State
progresses as an “institution” in
history.
-“In spite of their violent nature,
empires have been influential in
advancing law, knowledge, culture,
the well-being of man, and the arts”.
-Beyond the decline and fall of
empires, the whole of mankind
continues.

8. -Pascal, “as one single man who
constantly learns and remembers.”
-In a way, this promotion of
humanity, brought about by the
State as “institution”, historically
confirms the wager of St. Paul that
it is instituted by God for the good
of the citizens.

9. Ricoeur shows us the growth of
rationality on four levels
-Legal plane
-Technical plane
-Civic plane
-Socio-economic plane

10. A. ON THE LEGAL PLANE
-A first sign of institutional
growth is the evolution of the State
from an autocratic to a constitutional
phase.
-All regimes seem to follow this
common pattern.

11. -As soon as certain levels of
material comfort, education,
and leisure are reached, all
regimes inevitably evolve
form a dictatorial to
democratic form.
-Power is rationalized through
legality expressed in the
constitution.

12. B. ON THE TECHNICAL PLANE
-A second sign of the institutional
growth of the State is the
rationalization of power by means of
an administration.
-Politics has been radically
altered by the appearance of the
public administration understand as a
neutral political body.

13. -Its development is an extension
of technical rationality, more
precisely, of the organization of work
in the industrial enterprise.
-Power is rationalized through
technicality expressed in the
public administration.

14. C. ON THE CIVIC PLANE
-A third sign of institutional growth is
the organization of public discussion in
modern societies.
-Discussion is a vital necessity for the
modern State which receives its orientation
and impetus from it.

15. D. ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC PLANE
-A fourth sign of institutional growth
is the appearance of large-scale planning in
the modern State.
-Ricoueur shows his preference for a
branch of “socialism” that brings about the
transition from a “market economy”

16. -managed by “organizations
representing the common interest
whose fundamental purpose is the
maximum satisfaction of real needs
in the order of urgency”.
-Planning for the common good
manifests rationally in the socio-
economic sphere.

17. 2. THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE
-one brings out the institutional
progress of the state
-one also points out another which
bares the deep-seated ambiguity of political
reality.
-“All growth in the institution is also
growth in power and in the threat of
tyranny”.

18. C. THE THIRD STAGE: DOUBLE
POLITICAL DUTY OF CHRISTIANS
-First, one cannot legitimately
disengage a political course of action
from the Bible.
-“a religious or ethical belief with
technical information of an essentially
profane character, with a situation
which defines a limited field of
possibilities and available means, and
with a more or less hazardous choice”.

19. -Second, one must get rid of the
illusion that the church exercises a
direct political function in society.
-In Ricoeur’s opinion, political
action undertaken by the church
only prolongs the death throes of a
clerical Christianity which is a
humiliation to both believers and
unbelievers.

20. -The division of power involves
the insurance of the independence
of the judicial branch.
-it is also involves the guarantee
of the independence of the cultural
sector which includes the university,
the press media, scientific research,
and literary-artistic creation.

21. 1. Was among the most impressive
philosophers of the 20th century
continental philosophers, both in the
unusual breadth and depth of his
philosophical scholarship and in the
innovative nature of his thought.
a. Paul Ricoeur
b. Karl Marx
c. Emmanuel Kant
d. Thomas Hobbes

22. 2. According to this St. a first reading in
terms of “difficult justification” which sees
the state in the figure of the” magistrate”.
a.St. John
b.St. Joseph
c.St. Paul
d.St. Teresa

23. 3. According to this St. a second reading
in terms of an “obstinate mistrust” which
sees the state in the figure of the “beast”.
a. St. Paul
b. St. John
c. St. Teresa
d. St. Joseph

24. 4. This interpretation of the state St. Paul
exhorts his Christian listeners to obey their
lawful authorities, not out of fear of
punishment, but by a reason of conscience.
a. The Saints interpretations of the State
b. The Johannine interpretations of the
State
c. The Pauline interpretations of the State
d. The biblical interpretations of the State

25. 5. This interpretation of the state St. John
speaks of a wounded beast whose wound is
temporarily healed which symbolizes the
figure of beast is the state as evil power.
a. The Johannine interpretations of the State
b. the Pauline interpretations of the State
c. The Saints interpretations of the State
d. The Biblical interpretations of the State

26. 6. One of the level of rationality that the
evolution of the state from an autocratic to a
constitutional phase.
a.Technical plane
b.Civic plane
c.Socio-economic plane
d.Legal plane

27. 7. This level is the organization of
public discussion in modern societies.
a.Technical plane
b.Civic plane
c.Legal plane
d.Socio-economic plane

28. 8. This level is the rationalization of
power by means of an administration.
a.Technical plane
b.Civic plane
c.Legal plane
d.Socio-economic plane

29. 9. This level is the appearance of large-
scale planning in the modern state.
a. Legal plane
b. Civic plane
c. Socio-economic plane
d. Technical plane

30. 10. Ricoeur made this a third stage which
is more on the level of commitment that
consists in the promotion of rationality and
in the exercise of vigilance with regard to
the state.
a. The double biblical reading of the
state
b. The double political duty of
Christians
c. The double history of power
d. The Saints explanation of the state