The Ethics of Forgiveness (ed.

Christel Fricke, Routledge 2010,

forthcoming)

Forgiveness is, first and foremost, a social practice. As such, it is governed by social and, in
particular, by moral norms. In the Handbook of Forgiveness, the editor Everett L.
Worthington Jr. describes forgiveness as an ‘art’ (Worthington 2005: 1). This can be read as
implying either that the practice of forgiving is not among the most common practices or that
it is difficult to perform. Indeed, forgiveness might be a social practice that is both uncommon
and difficult to perform – and the latter aspect may be used to explain the former. Whenever a
person has deliberately harmed or done wrong to another person and where the latter
recognizes the intention, this person will typically feel resentment or anger. While some of
those having suffered such wrongdoing will try to prevent their victimization by responding
with aggression and revenge, others will feel humiliated and suffer a damage of their self-
respect. But where the offender and her victim can engage in a communicative process about
forgiving and actually achieve forgiveness, the possibly disastrous effects of aggressive
revenge or victimization can be prevented or cured. No wonder that forgiveness is commonly
considered as a desirable practice and the disposition to forgive as a virtue.

First drafts of most of the papers collected in this volume have been presented at a conference
in Oslo, Norway, in April 2008. The conference was organized by Christel Fricke and funded
by the Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature. I would like to thank all the contributors to the
volume for their cooperation. Special thanks are due to Charles Griswold who attended the
conference and very generously commented on previous versions of the papers assembled in
this volume. Hanne R. Tallaksen took care of the formatting and bibliography and I would
like to express my gratitude to her help and support.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Contributors

Introduction by the Editor

Historical and Intercultural Perspectives on Forgiveness

(1) Christoph Harbsmeier: Forgiveness and Forbearance in Ancient China

(2) Ilaria Ramelli: Unconditional forgiveness in Christianity? Some reflections on ancient
Christian sources and practices

Forgiveness and Selfhood

(3) Christel Fricke: What We Cannot Do To Each Other – On Forgiveness and Moral
Vulnerability
(4) Garry Hagberg: Forgiveness and the Constitution of Selfhood
(5) Peter Goldie: Self-forgiveness and the Narrative Sense of Self

Exploring the Limits of Forgiveness

(6) Eve Garrard and David McNaughton: Conditional Unconditional Forgiveness

(7) Espen Gamlund: Forgiveness Without Blame
(8) Jerome Neu: On Loving Our Enemies
(9) Arne Johan Vetlesen: Can Forgiveness Be Morally Wrong?
(10) Geoffrey Scarre: Apologising for Historic Injustices
(11) Jakob Lothe: Forgiveness, History, Narrative: W. G. Sebald’s ‘Austerlitz’

Bibliography