초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Until now, the question of forgiveness has been studied mainly from a perspective of pastoral care. This means that forgiveness has been dealt as the psychological means which cures both the victims and the offenders and builds reconciliation between them. However, this article deals the question of forgiveness from a philosophical and theological perspective. Especially, it focuses on the relationship between conditional forgiveness and unconditional forgiveness. To do this, this article deals the theories of Vladimir Jankelevitch, Jacques Derrida, and Paul Rocoeur on forgiveness. At first, Jankelevitch supports the unditional logic of forgiveness. So he even argues that forgiveness forgives the unforgivable. In reality, however, Jankelevitch maintains that we cannot forgive what he calls "metaphysical crimes" such as death camps by German people. In those crimes, according to him, we can forgive the wrongdoers only when they confess their faults and ask for forgiveness. Therefore, Jankelevitch comes to an insoluble dilemma between the conditional logic of forgiveness and the unconditional logic of forgiveness. Derrida tries to solve Jankelevitch's dilemma by arguing that conditional forgiveness and unconditional forgiveness are heterogeneous and indissociable at the same time. However, he goes to the opposite direction of Jankelevitch when he says that the true meaning of forgiveness lies only in the unconditional logic of forgiveness. So Derrida argues that forgiveness happens only when one forgives the impossible, i.e. the unforgivable even without any confession. It seems that this radical logic of unconditional forgiveness cannot be easily practiced in a real situation because it does not fully consider the burden of the victims. On the contrary, Ricoeur seems to suggest a proper way which can solve the relationship between conditional forgiveness and unconditional forgiveness. Unlike Jankelevitch, he claims that there is and remains forgiveness. Just as there is the superabundant grace of love from God, forgiveness is always for human beings. Pace Derrida, however, Ricoeur rightly argues that there is a limitation to the superabundant grace of "there is…." Without human response, the grace of forgiveness cannot be realized in a concrete situation. This means that justice is the necessary condition that makes forgiveness and reconciliation happen. This article comes to a conclusion that Ricoeur's solution which includes both the superabundant logic of "there is" and the reciprocal logic of justice at the same time is an apt way for solving the relationship between conditional forgiveness and unconditional forgiveness.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
forgiveness, conditional forgiveness, unconditional forgiveness, Vladimir Jankelevitch, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricoeur
