Res Publica

, Volume 21, Issue 1, pp 19–42 | Cite as

Unilateral Forgiveness and the Task of Reconciliation

Article
First Online:

Abstract

Although forgiveness is often taken to bear a close connection to the value of reconciliation, there is a good deal of scepticism about its role in situations where there is no consensus on the moral complexion of the past and no admission of guilt on the part of the perpetrator. This scepticism is typically rooted in the claims that forgiveness without perpetrator acknowledgement (1) aggravates the risk of recidivism; (2) yields a substandard and morally compromised form of political accommodation; and (3) comes across as patronizing and offensive to the recipient, thereby causing further alienation. In this article, my aim is to show, firstly, that none of these arguments is decisive and, secondly, that forgiveness is a suitable object of political concern in the absence of cross-community consensus on the rights and wrongs of a conflict. In this way, I aim to demonstrate that forgiveness deserves to be taken seriously as a means to civic reconciliation in a broader range of situations than many have allowed.

Keywords

Forgiveness Reconciliation Repentance Moral disagreement 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

In preparing this article, I have greatly benefitted from the helpful and constructive suggestions made by two anonymous referees. I would also like to thank Chris Cowley for commenting on an earlier draft of the article and the participants at the AHRC Care for the Future workshop, held at Queen’s University Belfast in May 2013, for their incisive feedback.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.School of Politics, International Studies and PhilosophyQueen’s University BelfastBelfastUK

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