"For my own part, I abandon the ethics of duty to the Hegelian critique with no regrets; it would appear to me, indeed, to have been correctly characterized by Hegel as an abstract thought, as a thought of understanding"

Paul Ricoeur is expressing his opinion that the ethics of task, as proposed by Hegel, is an abstract thought that does not have understanding. He is recommending that the ethics of duty is not an useful or beneficial mindset, and he has no remorses about abandoning it. Ricoeur is implying that the ethics of responsibility is an idea that is too theoretical and lacks the essential understanding to be used in real life. He is suggesting that the ethics of duty is not a practical mindset and need to be deserted. Ricoeur is likewise suggesting that the principles of responsibility is not a practical mindset and need to be replaced with a more comprehensive understanding of ethics. By doing so, Ricoeur is suggesting that the ethics of task need to be changed with a more extensive understanding of ethics that is based on understanding and not simply abstract thought.