Ricoeur and Castoriadis in Discussion: On Social Imaginaries, Human Creation, and the Possibility of Historical Novelty

This book features a highly significant discussion between Paul Ricoeur and Cornelius Castoriadis. Recorded for Radio France (Culture) in 1985, it is the only known encounter between these two great philosophers of the imagination. Their wide ranging conversation covers such themes as the productive imagination, human creation, social imaginaries, and the possibility of historical novelty; it reveals points of surprising commonality as well as divergence in their approaches. The dialogue is supplemented by critical essays by specialist scholars in Castoriadis and Ricoeur studies, and includes contributions from Johann P. Arnason, George H. Taylor, François Dosse, Johann Michel, Jean-Luc Amalric, and Suzi Adams. The book is a must read for all scholars interested in Ricoeur and Castoriadis studies, as well as those interested in debates on the possibilities and limits of human creation, and the importance of the imagination for social change. -- Provided by publisher Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 3 Series Information......Page 4 Title Page......Page 5 Copyright Page......Page 6 Table of contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Editor’s Foreword......Page 11 Note to the French Edition......Page 15 Preface: Situating Castoriadis and Ricoeur......Page 17 Preface to the French Edition......Page 35 Notes......Page 49 References......Page 50 Part I Ricoeur and Castoriadis Radio Dialogue......Page 53 Chapter One Dialogue on History and the Social Imaginary......Page 55 Notes......Page 70 References......Page 71 Part II Essays......Page 73 Chapter Two On the Cusp: Ricoeur and Castoriadis at the Boundary......Page 75 The Primordiality of the Social Imaginary......Page 76 The Differentiation Between Productive and Creative Imagination......Page 78 Castoriadis......Page 79 Ricoeur......Page 82 Ricoeur......Page 87 Castoriadis......Page 91 Notes......Page 96 References......Page 98 Setting The Scene......Page 101 From Production to Institution......Page 103 Confronting Structuralism......Page 110 Creativity in Context......Page 111 Continuity and Discontinuity......Page 113 Imaginary Significations and Historical Processes......Page 121 References......Page 125 Chapter Four Ricoeur and Castoriadis: The Productive Imagination between Mediation and Origin......Page 129 The Philosophical Context of The Dialogue: A Common Defence of The Practical Power of Productive Imagination......Page 130 Creation, Production, and Institution: A Converging Critique of Structuralism Beyond The Terminological Dispute......Page 136 Productive Imagination: Between Origin and Mediation, Creation and Retroaction......Page 144 Notes......Page 155 References......Page 159 Chapter Five Castoriadis and Ricoeur on the Hermeneutic Spiral and the Meaning of History: Creation, Interpretation, Critique......Page 163 Much Ado About ‘Nothing’: Creation or Production?......Page 164 History, Tradition, and The Hermeneutic Spiral......Page 170 Castoriadis......Page 172 Ricoeur......Page 176 Conclusions and Beginnings: Traversing The Hermeneutic Spiral Anew......Page 182 Notes......Page 186 References......Page 187 Chapter Six The Social Imaginary as Engine of History in Ricoeur and Castoriadis......Page 191 Dual Discontent Regarding Inherited Thought About The Imaginary......Page 192 The Living Imagination in Paul Ricoeur......Page 196 The Imaginary Between Chaos and Institution in Castoriadis’s Works......Page 205 A Real Proximity Between Ricoeur and Castoriadis......Page 216 Notes......Page 218 References......Page 219 Paul Ricoeur (1913–2005)......Page 223 References......Page 224 Cornelius Castoriadis (1922–1997)......Page 225 References......Page 226 Index......Page 227 About the Contributors......Page 237 This book features a highly significant discussion between Paul Ricoeur and Cornelius Castoriadis. Recorded for Radio France (Culture) in 1985, it is the only known encounter between these two great philosophers of the imagination. Their wide ranging conversation covers such themes as the productive imagination, human creation, social imaginaries, and the possibility of historical novelty; it reveals points of surprising commonality as well as divergence in their approaches. The dialogue is supplemented by critical essays by specialist scholars in Castoriadis and Ricoeur studies, and includes contributions from Johann P. Arnason, George H. Taylor, François Dosse, Johann Michel, Jean-Luc Amalric, and Suzi Adams. The book is a must read for all scholars interested in Ricoeur and Castoriadis studies, as well as those interested in debates on the possibilities and limits of human creation, and the importance of the imagination for social change. -- Provided by publisher This volume makes available for the first time an encounter between Ricoeur and Castoriadis on questions of human creation, social imaginaries, history, and the imagination to an English speaking audience. As such it represents a highly significant resource for scholars, and a lively introduction to each of their thought for newcomers