Time of Forgiveness? A reading of the eschatological utopia of Paul Ricoeur in Memory, History, Forgetting

Abstract

This article deals with the relationship between forgiveness and history. This it proposes an theoretical contribution on the book Memory, History, Forgetting of Paul Ricoeur. The hypothesis is that the “difficult forgiveness”, proposed by the philosopher as a “common horizon” of memory, history and forgetting, can be taken as an utopia. However, this utopia requires some preconditions for its realization. We emphasize one of these preconditions: justice. In order to define and understand these preconditions or even an ethic of forgiveness, we search to reflect on some dimensions of the relationship among forgiveness, memory, amnesty, forgetting and justice. At last, we focused on some difficulties of the experience of forgiveness according to Brazil’s recent historical experience.