From Text to Action : Essays in Hermeneutics, II

Incredible originality of thought in areas as vast as phenomenology, religion, hermeneutics, psychoanalysis, intersubjectivity, language, Marxism, and structuralism has made Paul Ricoeur one of the philosophical giants of the twentieth century. The way in which Ricoeur approaches these themes makes his works relevant to the reader today: he writes with honesty and depth of insight into the core of a problem, and his ability to mark for future thought the very path of philosophical inquiry is nearly unmatched. 

From Text to Action is an essential companion to the classic The Conflict of Interpretations. Here, Ricoeur continues and extends his project of constructing a general theory of interpretation, positioning his work in relation to its philosophical background: Hegel, Husserl, Gadamer, and Weber. He also responds to contemporary figures like K. O. Apel and Jürgen Habermas, connecting his own theorization of ideology to their critique of ideology. 

This new edition includes a foreword by Richard Kearney. It and other new editions of Ricoeur's texts published by Northwestern University Press have joined the canon of contemporary continental philosophy and continue to contribute to emergent discussions in the twenty-first century. 

PAUL RICOEUR (1913–2005) is the author of numerous books, including History and Truth, The Conflict of Interpretations, From Text to Action, Freedom and Nature, and Husserl. These five titles are being reissued by Northwestern University Press with new forewords.

KATHLEEN BLAMEY has taught philosophy at California State University, Hayward, and the American University in Paris.

JOHN B. THOMPSON is a professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge.

RICHARD KEARNEY is the Charles Seelig Professor in Philosophy at Boston College.