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This article argues that compromise lies at the heart of Paul Ricœur’s philosophical project despite the apparent fragmentation of his work. Ricœur conceptualizes compromise, defining it as “shaping intersections of different orders of magnitude,” and differentiates it from the compromise of principle, which is tainted by negativity. Being necessary to build a common life in a society in which conflict is inherent, compromise, for Ricœur, reflects a form of anthropology that is also an “ontology of action.” Compromise testifies both to man’s potential as much as to the precariousness of the given word, liable to be betrayed at any moment.