Justified Unforgiveness

Reviews / Votes

Justified Unforgiveness presents a bold account that challenges and expands the philosophical examination of forgiveness. Focusing on examples of radical evil from several underappreciated historical case studies, Ang argues that justified unforgiveness provides a moral defense of victims and their memories, which then promotes both personal and communal dignity and healing. By clearly examining the relationship between time, apology, truth, forgiveness, and justice, Ang shows why protecting victims requires the letting go of resentment without forgiving. Ang's work will expand the reader's understanding of forgiveness, clarify the roles and limits of legal justice vs. the justice of collective memory, and invite the inclusion of a more prominent place for justified unforgiveness within the philosophy of forgiveness. * Court D Lewis, Pellissippi State Community College, USA * Whether you support showing wrongdoers unconditional forgiveness or not, Justified Unforgiveness is essential reading for understanding the case for moral resentment. Jennifer Ang argues that unforgiveness is not necessarily vindictive and is actually morally appropriate when wrongdoers are unrepentant or when the gravity of evil is so great that forgiveness and reconciliation are impossible. To support her argument, Ang takes us on a gripping tour through the worst crimes in history - Nazi atrocities, the Khmer Rouge genocide, and the Nanking massacre. * Gregory L. Bock, The University of Texas at Tyler, USA * The book is clearly written, well-organized, and largely accessible to non-academic readers. It discusses some difficult subject matter in a nuanced and philosophically interesting way. * Choice *