This refers to a selfhood that does not depend on an unchanging core. It answers the question "Who am I?" and is best exemplified by the act of promising , where a person commits to being the same in the future despite potential changes in their character or circumstances. 2. Narrative Identity

This refers to what stays the same over time, such as physical traits or character. It answers the question "What am I?" and focuses on numerical and qualitative permanence.

Ricoeur argues that the true "self" is not found in biology, but in . In Chapter 5, a frequent highlight in digital annotations, Ricoeur introduces the idea of "ascription." When an action happens—say, a good deed or a crime—we ascribe that action to an agent. "Who did this?" is the question that calls the self into existence.