Is a Hermeneutic Phenomenology Wide Enough?: A Ricoeurian Reply to Janicaud’s Phenomenology “Wide Open”

More than fifteen years have now passed since the publication of Dominique Janicaud’s book Phenomenology “Wide Open”; however, many of its central claims still remain unexamined. This article initiates a critical reflection on Janicaud’s notion of a minimal phenomenology by way of a contrast with Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutic phenomenology. The article demonstrates that Janicaud’s attempt to decouple phenomenology from hermeneutics fails due to his underestimation of their deeper connection. The notion of a minimal phenomenology remains valuable, nonetheless, for opening up some new directions for hermeneutic phenomenology, particularly an engagement with certain insights to be drawn from Deleuze.