On Forgiveness and Justice＂ The Difficulties of Western Societies in Achieving a Coherent Discourse about Forgiveness＊.pdfVIP

PhilosophyStudy，ISSN 2159·5313 January2014，Vo1．4，No．1，1-10 a LI暑 H IN6 OnForgivenessandJustice： TheDifficultiesofWesternSocietiesinAchievingaCoherent DiscourseaboutForgiveness PedroRivas UniversityofLaCorufia Forgivenessplaysamainroleintransitionaljustice，itisimportanttoverifyhow forgivenessisjustifiedby contemporary societies．Nocontemporarymentaliytcanavoidtheintuitionthatwearefacingarealitythatseemsto belongtothefieldofreligion．Hence，whatinterestsusispreciselythemoralconsiderationofthisdiscussion． Facingthemoraliyt offorgiveness，thequestionsthatareraisedwithrespecttoeachytpeare：whetheritispossible toforgiveandwhetheroneshouldforgive．Theinherentcontradictionofthosewhoaffirm theobligatory natureof forgivenessresultsinthesupererogatory characterofforgiveness．Ifallforgivenessissupererogatory initself,then allforgivenessisalwayspresentedassomethingundeserved．Thus，wedonothavesupportingpointstoembarkon adiscourseaboutforgiveness．Theresultisthatourpoliticalcommunitiesdonotreallyknow how tomanage situationssuchastransitiona1iustice． Keywords：forgiveness，conflict，liberalism，transitionaljustice 1．IntrOductiOn Forgivenessplaysanimportantroleintheprocessesoftransitionaljustice．However,whendealingwith phenomenasuchasforgiveness，nocontemporarymentalitycanavoidtheintuitionthatwearefacingareality thatdefinitivelybelongstothefieldofreligion．Forthatreason，foranoccidentalmentalityandfrom apurely philosophicalperspective，itwouldbevery usefultobeinpossessionofresearchthatcompletelydealtwiththe pagansensesofforgivenessintheclassicantiquity．Averyrecentmonographaboutforgivenessbeginswiththe affirmationthatsuc