Wysnuwać z mrocznej mgły pasma istnienia : unamuno - hermeneutyka - głód nieśmiertelności

This article considers the thought of Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno which refers to the role of the word in an individual’s self-discovery and its status in the face of the mystery of mortality, by locating this thought in the context of Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics, especially his conception of narrative identity as well as the mimetic process. The authoress’ intention is to prove the parallels between both thinkers, clear i.a. in the novel Mist, which is outwardly an insignificant romance, but indeed considerations over impenetrability of human existence. Unamuno raised there the issue of fictional figure’s status in order to reflect on the ways in which a human tries to explore and also build his or her own identity through the prism of narration. The authoress of the draft shows how the philosopher understood the existence in the word and thanks to the word, which makes possible the constitution of “the novel of life”, an attempt of overcoming people’s finiteness. Although a religion brings a final answer on “the hunger of immortality”, in Unamuno’s opinion it is still full of uncertainty and drama: like a novel, it is based on a dream as well as the need of aim, and remains an “continuous and tireless struggle with the mystery”