Forgiveness and Conflict

Panel: Forgiveness and Conflict

In recent years, philosophers from the English speaking tradition have
started to pay more attention to the topic of forgiveness in both its moral
and political dimension.

In moral theory, contemporary debates about forgiveness centre around two
main issues: (i) conceptual debates about the nature and definition of
forgiveness, and (ii) normative debates about the permissibility of
forgiveness. With respect to (i), most authors follow Bishop Butler and
claim that forgiveness necessarily  involves the overcoming  of the negative
emotions of resentment, anger and hatred ‘that are naturally directed toward
a person who has done one an unjustified and non-excused moral-injury.’
(Murphy, 1988: 15). For Murphy, forgiveness ‘… is primarily a matter of how
I feel about you (not how I treat you)…’ (1988, pp. 20-1). More recently,
however, Hieronymi has argued for an articulate (i.e. responsive to reasons)
and uncompromising account of forgiveness, casting doubt as to whether
forgiveness could be interpreted as a matter of overcoming feelings, and
warning against ‘the all-too-common habit of talking about resentment and
anger as things to be manipulated …rather than as attitudes sensitive to
one’s judgements, subject to rational revision.’ (2001: 534-5).  Moreover,
there is considerable debate about what other conditions are also necessary
and/ or sufficient for forgiveness. Some authors include reconciliation and
full restoration of relationships, the forgoing of punishment, and/ or a
more positive attitude of good will (or even love) towards the wrongdoer
(Garrard and McNaughton, 2002: 44). Others, however, are sceptic about the
possibility of defining forgiveness and argue that forgiveness is a multi-
form phenomenon which includes a broad and varied family of practices
(Scarre, 2004: 26).

With respect to (ii), some authors argue that forgiveness cannot be
forbidden or required because it has a gift-like nature, while others try to
find conditions or even rules for its permissibility. Virtue ethics, Kantian
and Utilitarian approaches provide competing understandings of the
normativity of forgiveness. Authors often argue that the permissibility of
forgiveness is conditional on repentance (Hieronymi, 2001; Govier, 1999).
However, there is also disagreement in this area, as some have argued that
‘unconditional forgiveness is morally permissible, and that there are
morally cogent reasons in its favour’ (Garrard and McNaughton, 2002: 39).

In political theory, forgiveness is invoked in debates about justice and
reconciliation in post-conflict situations. Forgiveness is sometimes invoked
as a route to amnesty and reconciliation. Most famously, in post-Apartheid
South Africa, the African National Congress [ANC] appealed to forgiveness
and amnesty as a tool to obtain the truth and achieve national
reconciliation through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) under
the motto ‘no future without forgiveness’ (Tutu, 1999). However, sometimes
forgiveness plays the opposite role. For example, in Argentina, Mothers of
Plaza de Mayo and other human rights associations, under the motto ‘no
forgetting, no forgiving’ have made a link between  justice, memory,  truth
and the refusal to forgive. Forgiveness is invoked as something to strive
against in the struggle for justice.

The aim of the workshop is to discuss the normativity of forgiveness in both
its moral and political dimensions. We invite papers that consider the
nature of forgiveness, including, conceptual, normative, moral, applied,
legal and political aspects. Papers that examine the intersection between
the moral and political dimensions of forgiveness and papers that consider
real case studies of countries in which the notion of forgiveness has played
an important political role (in a positive or negative way) are particularly
welcome.

Possible topics include:

-       The nature and definition of forgiveness
-       Forgiveness, reasons and feelings
-       The permissibility of forgiveness
-       Kantian, Utilitarian and Virtue ethics approaches to forgiveness
-       Forgiveness and moral development
-       Forgiveness and personal relationships
-       Forgiveness, dignity, respect and self-respect
-       Conditional, unconditional forgiveness and repentance
-       Forgiveness and amnesty
-       Forgiveness and political conflict
-       Forgiveness and transitional justice
-       Truth and Reconciliation Commissions
-       Restorative justice and forgiveness
-       Retributive justice and forgiveness

Dr Paula Satne, University of Keele:  [email protected]