عنوان

Difficult Forgiveness? Engaging Paul Ricoeur on Public Forgiveness within the Context of Social Change in South Africa

Number

LA113274

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

Difficult Forgiveness? Engaging Paul Ricoeur on Public Forgiveness within the Context of Social Change in South Africa

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Robert Vosloo

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Leiden

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Brill

Text of Note

In the context of public discourse in South Africa, this article engages Paul Ricoeur's influential and thought-provoking work on forgiveness, also as it intersects with the work of Jacques Derrida. The article argues that Ricoeur's discussion of 'difficult forgiveness' provides important conceptual clarification in the search for responsible discourse on forgiveness, and offers some brief remarks regarding the promise and pitfalls of using the notion of 'difficult forgiveness' in post-conflict situations marked by historical injustice, such as South Africa. It is argued that Ricoeur's discussion of forgiveness helpfully demonstrates the complexities involved in forgiving in a way that resists cheap forgiveness, and that his nuanced attempt to make room for the spirit of forgiveness to touch institutions enriches the discourse on public forgiveness and its role in the humanization of polarized societies. Given the eschatological tone of Ricoeur's discussion of forgiveness, the article also points towards the need for future-orientated memory to deal with historical injustices. In the context of public discourse in South Africa, this article engages Paul Ricoeur's influential and thought-provoking work on forgiveness, also as it intersects with the work of Jacques Derrida. The article argues that Ricoeur's discussion of 'difficult forgiveness' provides important conceptual clarification in the search for responsible discourse on forgiveness, and offers some brief remarks regarding the promise and pitfalls of using the notion of 'difficult forgiveness' in post-conflict situations marked by historical injustice, such as South Africa. It is argued that Ricoeur's discussion of forgiveness helpfully demonstrates the complexities involved in forgiving in a way that resists cheap forgiveness, and that his nuanced attempt to make room for the spirit of forgiveness to touch institutions enriches the discourse on public forgiveness and its role in the humanization of polarized societies. Given the eschatological tone of Ricoeur's discussion of forgiveness, the article also points towards the need for future-orientated memory to deal with historical injustices.

Date of Publication

2015

Physical description

360-378

Title

International Journal of Public Theology

Volume Number

9/3

International Standard Serial Number

1569-7320

Subject Term

Desmond Tutu

Subject Term

forgiveness

Subject Term

Jacques Derrida

Subject Term

Paul Ricoeur

Subject Term

public discourse

Subject Term

South Africa

Robert Vosloo

Call Number

10.1163/15697320-12341406

Electronic name

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y