Ambivalence About Forgiveness

摘要: Our ideas about forgiveness seem to oscillate between idealization and scepticism. How should we make sense of this apparent conflict? This paper argues that learn something from each, seeing these views as representing opposing moments in a perennial well-grounded moral ambivalence towards forgiveness. Once are correctly positioned, shall see an aspect recommends precisely ambivalence. For what will come into view be certain key psychological mechanisms moral-epistemic influence – other-addressed self-addressed social construction enable function well when it is well-functioning, but which also intrinsically prone deterioration one or another form bad faith. Thus revealed necessarily containing seeds its own corruption, showing generically appropriate attitude. Moreover, emphasized where forgiver forgiven relating the context asymmetries power, practice likely further compromised, notably increasing risk negative on states either forgiven, both.