Forgiveness in the published literature seems to imply that it is done for the self and not for the person who acted unfairly.  Am I correct?

The scientific literature often examines the effects of forgiveness on the one who forgives.  This does not at all mean from a philosophical perspective that this is what forgiveness is.  Forgiveness actually is a moral virtue of goodness toward those who acted unfairly.  Even if one of the effects of this self-giving is that the forgiver experiences much psychological relief, this does not equate to what forgiveness is.  We have to distinguish the essence of forgiveness (what it is) from some of the effects of this process (which can be emotional relief by those who forgive).

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