Key Arguments

• He explicitly restates the governing thesis: 'a morality of obligation, we stated, produces conflictual situations where practical wisdom has no re course, in our opinion, other than to return to the initial intuition of ethics, in the framework of moral judgment in situation'.
• He defines this 'initial intuition of ethics' precisely as 'the vision or aim of the "good life" with and for others in just institutions.', showing that practical wisdom’s recourse is not to new principles but to this foundational aim.
• He emphasizes that it is specifically 'moral judgment in situation' that must be framed by this return, highlighting that the application of general norms to concrete cases requires re‑anchoring in the ethical aim rather than relying solely on formal rules.
• By calling this the 'third volet of the thesis that governs the studies devoted to the ethical dimension of the self', he links practical wisdom structurally to his earlier two moments (ethical aim and moral norm), indicating that the entire ethical architecture culminates in this return to the aim in the context of conflict.

Source Quotes

NINTH STUDY The Self and Practical Wisdom Conviction Here we consider the third volet of the thesis that governs the studies devoted to the ethical dimension of the self: a morality of obligation, we stated, produces conflictual situations where practical wisdom has no re course, in our opinion, other than to return to the initial intuition of ethics, in the framework of moral judgment in situation; that is, to the vision or aim of the "good life" with and for others in just institutions. Having said this, two misconceptions are to be avoided.

Key Concepts

• Here we consider the third volet of the thesis that governs the studies devoted to the ethical dimension of the self: a morality of obligation, we stated, produces conflictual situations where practical wisdom has no re course, in our opinion, other than to return to the initial intuition of ethics, in the framework of moral judgment in situation; that is, to the vision or aim of the "good life" with and for others in just institutions.
• the initial intuition of ethics, in the framework of moral judgment in situation; that is, to the vision or aim of the "good life" with and for others in just institutions.
• the studies devoted to the ethical dimension of the self
• moral judgment in situation

Context

Opening sentences of the Ninth Study, where Ricoeur summarizes and extends the overarching ethical thesis of the previous studies, introducing practical wisdom and conviction as the mode in which conflicts created by a morality of obligation are addressed.