Courage of Faith : Dag Hammarskjölds Way in Quest of Negotiated Peace, Reconciliation and Meaning

Abstract: Dag Hammarskjöld categorically affirmed in his undated letter which accompanied his manuscript that the entries in Vägmärken (Markings) “provide the only true ‘profile’ that can be drawn” of his personal spiritual form of life. My research focuses on Dag Hammarskjöld’s negotiations with himself and with God; his ultimate concern for self-knowledge and authentic existence, world-view, interpretation of reality, ethical praxis for human rights and a diplomacy of reconciliation. His understanding of religious language is also examined.Rival interpretations of his longest inner journey require arbitration and correction in the light of archive documentation. My introduction surveys three phases of Hammarskjöld research since the publication of Vägmärken (Markings). Paul Ricoeur’s “hermeneutic of suspicion” correlated with a “hermeneutic of retrieval” is relevant for arbitration of the polyphony of rival interpretations of Dag Hammarskjöld’s Way, a dialectic of action and meaning.The archive source materials are essential for any adequate arbitration and analysis of Dag Hammarskjöld’s personal witness about the meaninglessness as well as meaning and sense of events in his single form vocation and responsibility as United Nations Secretary-General.Persevering steadfastly on the way of possibility in following the underlying ethical principle of the Human Dignity Imperative in accord with the UN Charter, Dag Hammarskjöld maintained integrity and impartiality despite intense pressures. His negotiations with himself and with God were basic for his action of negotiated peace and reconciliation, in the continuous struggle for creative meaning overcoming destructive chaos and meaninglessness.