Abstract
This paper replies to the account of forgiveness developed in Griswold’s Forgiveness: A Philosophical Exploration. It defends the idea that “unilateral” forgiveness is the paradigm case of the virtue of forgiveness, rejecting Griswold’s claims that forgiveness is essentially a “dyadic” virtue, and that reconciliation of the wronged party with the wrongdoer is a defining element of forgiveness. Forgiveness is fundamentally a matter of being reconciled to the persistence of human wrongdoing, as expressed in particular instances. Reconciliation may well be essential to some attempts at “political apology” for wide-scale wrongdoing. But then, contrary to some of Griswold’s claims, forgiveness will be central to many national projects of bringing about civic reconciliation. The paper also distinguishes between the project of seeking moral reconciliation from the project of seeking and granting political recognition for those who have been denied civic status. Contrary to Griswold’s view, the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial is best understood as a project of seeking and granting recognition, not as an attempt to produce civic reconciliation in response to the Vietnam War.
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Notes
One of the most comprehensive accounts of this case, and its relation to the literature on forgiveness is Kraybill et al. (2007).
References
Griswold, C. (2008) “Forgiveness and Apology: What, When, Why?” Tikkun, March/April 2008, pp. 21–26; 62–64. (With a reply by Father W. Meninger, Griswold’s reply, and Meninger’s response to that reply). Also available online at http://www.tikkun.org/article.php?story=forgiveness_articles
Kraybill, D., Nolt, S., & Weaver-Zercher, D. (2007). Amish grace: How forgiveness transcended tragedy. San Francisco: Wiley.
Garrard, E., & McNaughton, D. (2003). In defence of unconditional forgiveness. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 104, 39–60.
Moody-Adams, M. (1997) Fieldwork in familiar places: morality, culture and philosophy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, pp. 147 and 151–159.
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Moody-Adams, M. Reply to Griswold, Forgiveness: A Philosophical Exploration . Philosophia 38, 429–437 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-010-9242-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-010-9242-0