About Forgiveness

Abstract

The word-historical origins of forgiveness and scientific findings around the psychosocial aspects of forgiveness are the focus of this chapter. It becomes clear that forgiveness activates psychological drivers. In doing so, a “theory of forgiveness” draws on considerations from theology, philosophy, and sociology, thus clarifying the broad dynamics of an important human talent.

The anthology “Verzeihen-Versöhnen-Vergessen. Soziologische Perspektiven” by editor Takemitsu Morikawa from 2018 has influenced the following reflections in terms of content and structure. The findings of some authors are taken up below and substantiated according to the usual rules of citation.