Review by Choice Review
This anthology, which divides into two equal parts of five essays each, brings together a group of international scholars--some young and promising, others well known and accomplished--who explore from fresh perspectives Paul Ricoeur's reflections on justice and the ideas of other interlocutors who influenced the renowned French philosopher in this complex area of inquiry. Ricoeur (1913--2005) typically seeks to mediate pressing philosophical issues by productively synthesizing conflicting perspectives in a way that simultaneously resolves tensions and enables thought and practice to surmount reigning impasses. The same holds true for his approach to justice. Part 1 of the collection examines the internal coherence of Ricoeur's theoretical position, which attempts to reconcile dueling conceptions of justice: one grounded in the logic of "an eye for an eye," entailing equality, cruelty, and vengeance; the other grounded in the logic of loving your enemy, entailing superabundance, mercy, and forgiveness. Part 2 focuses on Ricoeur's thinking in dialogical relation to other voices on justice, specifically those of Hannah Arendt, Axel Honneth, Marcel Hénaff, John Rawls, Emmanuel Levinas, and Luc Boltanski. Collectively, these well-written, insightful essays provide a welcome addition to an underrepresented area of Ricoeurian studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students and faculty. --Howard Ira Einsohn, Wesleyan University--Institute for Lifelong Learning
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
