Real forgiveness /
"Forgiveness is supposedly the key to regaining happiness and escaping cycles of blame and revenge, but is it true that we always ought to forgive those who wrong us, even if they are unrepentant repeat offenders? In forgiving them, would we be failing to stand up for ourselves and letting them...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford ; New York :
Oxford University Press,
[2023]
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| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | "Forgiveness is supposedly the key to regaining happiness and escaping cycles of blame and revenge, but is it true that we always ought to forgive those who wrong us, even if they are unrepentant repeat offenders? In forgiving them, would we be failing to stand up for ourselves and letting them off the hook? These questions are complicated by the fact that no one can agree on what forgiveness is supposed to be. Is forgiveness an emotional change within the victim, including the loss of resentment? Is forgiveness a change in the way that the victim treats the wrongdoer, perhaps including reconciliation or the merciful withholding of punishment? Is forgiving a performative speech act, similar to making a promise or to cancelling a debt? Is forgiveness a moral virtue? This book identifies the tensions within our thinking about forgiveness and explains why there is endless disagreement on this issue. Many assume that forgiveness is permissible whenever it is possible, that forgiveness is available to every victim, and that forgiveness allows victim and perpetrator to move on peacefully. It turns out that forgiveness cannot be all of these things simultaneously, so we must reject one of these common assumptions. Arguably, real forgiveness results in intrapersonal and interpersonal peace and is available to every victim. This means that real forgiveness is frequently beneficial and morally admirable, but in some cases is irrational, dangerous, and impermissible. Sometimes the victim morally ought to remain in conflict with the wrongdoer, and so should not forgive"--Publisher's description. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (x, 192 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780191988684 0191988685 9780198878483 0198878486 9780198878490 0198878494 |