Getting even : forgiveness and its limits / Jeffrie G. Murphy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Murphy, Jeffrie G.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Forgiveness.

Physical Description:

ix, 138 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2003.

Summary:

We have all been victims or perpetrators of some kind of wrongdoing, big or small. Doling out and accepting forgiveness are among the staples of current pop psychology dogma. Forgiveness is seen as a panacea for moral and mental health in the self-help and recovery section of bookstores. We clearly value forgiveness while seeing vindictiveness as irrational and immoral -- yet we now use victim-impact statements to argue for harsher penalties for criminals. In these and other ways, our thinking on these issues is actually deeply inconsistent. Is it a good idea to hate others for what they have done to us? Under what circumstances?

The distinguished philosopher and law professor Jeffrie G. Murphy is a skeptic when it comes to our views on both vindictiveness and forgiving. In this short and accessible book -- which draws from the resources of philosophy, psychology, the law, and religion, and which uses examples from literature and popular culture -- Murphy proposes that vindictive emotions (anger, resentment, and the desire for revenge) actually deserve a more legitimate place in our emotional, social, and legal lives than we currently recognize, while forgiveness -- though often a great virtue -- deserves to be more selectively granted. He bases his views on careful analysis of the nature of forgiveness, subtle understanding of the psychology of anger and resentment, a fine appreciation of the ethical issues of self-respect and self-defense, and reflections on Christian teachings.

Providing a much-needed nuanced approach to a proper understanding of the place of our strongest emotions in moral, political, and personal life -- and using lucid, easily understood prose -- this volume will cause anyone who reads it to seriously reappraise their views on these topics.

Contents:

Introduction: Responding to Evil 3

1 What Is Forgiveness? 9

2 Two Cheers for Vindictiveness 17

3 Vindictiveness and the Law 27

4 Forgiveness as a Virtue 33

5 Repentance, Punishment, and Mercy 39

6 Self-Forgiveness 57

7 Forgiveness in Psychotheraphy 73

8 Forgiveness and Christianity 87

9 Christianity and Criminal Punishment 95.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 119-124) and index.

ISBN:

0195151496

OCLC:

50590850