Remembering and Forgiving as Moral Duties: A Ricoeurian-Kantian Synthesis for the Victims of Tragedies

Abstract

This study investigates whether remembering and forgiving can be elevated as categorical imperatives under Kantian ethics. Philosophical discourse usually describes remembering and forgiving as interpretative, therapeutic, or social actions; however, their status as universal moral obligations is not clearly explained. This research aims to provide a synthesis based on the philosophical views of Paul Ricoeur and Immanuel Kant, demonstrating how remembering and forgiving can serve as categorical imperatives grounded in human dignity. Ricoeur’s hermeneutic approach perceives remembering and forgiving as ethical actions grounded in narrative identity, acknowledgment of suffering, and the opportunity for moral renewal. Still, his framework primarily maintains an interpretive and descriptive perspective. Kant’s deontological ethics, on the other hand, proposes a normative framework through the categorical imperative, establishing moral duty in reason and moral law. This study employs a philosophical methodology, specifically conceptual analysis and a dialectic approach to examine the ethical tensions and convergences between these two philosophical traditions. The research demonstrates that human dignity represents the key ethical principle for the integration of Ricoeur’s hermeneutic perspective with Kant’s deontological framework. This synthesis contends that remembering provides a moral obligation that protects truth, justice, and dignity of victims, while forgiving is described as an imperfect duty that enables reconciliation and healing. By positioning these ethical actions in human dignity, the study contributes to philosophical discourse by giving a synthesized normative ethical framework for addressing the moral issues created by historical injustices and collective tragedies.