In this important and original book, Johann Michel paves the way for a greater understanding of Paul Ricoeur's philosophy by exploring it in relation to some major figures of contemporary French thought—Bourdieu, Derrida, Deleuze, Foucault and Castoriadis. Although the fertile dialogue between Ricoeur and various structuralist thinkers is well documented, his position in relation to the post-structuralist movement is less-widely understood. Does Ricoeur's philosophy stand in opposition to post-structuralism in France or, on the contrary, is it in fact a unique variation of that movement? This book defends the latter statement. Michel speaks of post-structuralisms in the plural form and engages them in a dynamic confrontation between Ricoeur and his contemporaries in the French intellectual scene. The result is a better understanding of Ricoeur's thought and also of the distinctive issues that emerge through confrontation between Ricoeur and each of these post-structuralist thinkers.

"Johann Michel's superb, timely, and scholarly book addresses the whole body of Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic philosophy … [I]t has much to offer anyone interested in contemporary post-structuralism, from the novice to the professional [and] offers a great deal to consider regarding the fundamental issues of philosophy on meaning, identity, ethics and justice, even (perhaps especially) for those who are unlikely to persuaded by its central contentions." - Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews