Abstract
Since World War II, the concept of forgiveness has been one of the most controversial topics across diverse fields. While Jacques Derrida (1930–2004), one of its leading exponents, asserted the impossibility of forgiveness, Paul Ricoeur (1913–2005) challenged this viewpoint by discussing the notion of “difficult forgiveness,” as a type of non-commercial exchange. In this regard, how did Ricoeur reinterpret this “gift” (i.e., Derrida’s claim of impossible forgiveness) to preserve the possibility of forgiveness? In previous research, Ricoeur’s concept of this gift and its impact on his theory of forgiveness remains open to investigation. Thus, this study clarifies this gift by focusing on the relationship between the actors in forgiveness. Specifically, for him, a gift is an exchange between the “giver” and “receiver.” By focusing on the “mutuality” in this gift between the actors, Ricoeur emphasizes the existence of “gratitude” that supports this inequivalent exchange. Here, gratitude is positioned within the “regime of agape,” based on the logic of superabundance. Through this analysis, the study argues that Ricoeur’s uniqueness is based on the fact that the giver and beggar of forgiveness can be considered as the giver and receiver, who are mutually irreplaceable within the “regime of agape.”
