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Against Elective Forgiveness
11University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands.
Ethical Theory and Moral Practice : an International Forum
|April 9, 2019
Summary
Forgiveness is often seen as elective, but this paper argues that reasons for forgiving can create requirements to forgive. This challenges the idea that forgiveness must always be a free choice.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of action
- Moral philosophy
- Ethics
Background:
- The nature of forgiveness is debated, with a tension between its elective nature and its basis in reasons.
- Some argue that forgiveness must be elective, viewing required forgiveness as antithetical to its spirit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the view that forgiveness is exclusively elective.
- To argue that reasons for forgiving can generate requirements to forgive or withhold forgiveness.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical argumentation
- Analysis of concepts related to reasons for action and requirements
- Critique of existing arguments for the electivity of forgiveness
Main Results:
- The intuitive appeal of forgiveness being purely elective diminishes upon closer examination.
- Existing arguments fail to adequately explain why reasons to forgive differ from other reasons for action in not generating requirements.
Conclusions:
- Forgiveness, like other actions, can be required by the reasons that support it.
- The elective view of forgiveness is less plausible than initially assumed.
