On forgiveness: Phenomenon and Norms

Abstract

This paper takes a close look at forgiveness. As the title suggests, this paper is divided in two sections. The first section provides a description and an understanding of the phenomenon of forgiveness. This is done first by considering how various philosophical accounts have done so. This is then followed by a phenomenological description of what forgiveness is and what forgiveness does. For this purpose the paper also considers other concepts that are related to forgiveness, namely those of guilt and resentment. In the second section of the paper the norms of forgiveness are investigated. Two elementary normative conditions of forgiveness are discussed: the conditions of moral permissibility and the conditions of performative actualization of forgiveness.