Soliliquy Slider — International Forgiveness Institute

To me, forgiveness is a sign of smug superiority. I can say, “I forgive you……see how moral I am and how immoral you are?” What do you think?

This is an example of false forgiveness. As the philosopher, Joanna North, says, when we forgive, we lower ourselves in humility so that the other and we as forgivers are seen as both people of worth. This certainly is not smugness. Please follow and like us:

Regarding my earlier question about people just doing the best that they can, might the environment play a big part in a person’s bad behavior? For example, let us suppose a person who grows up in poverty, oppressed, and hated by others. This fills him with dread and hatred. When he then acts badly (let us say he murders an innocent person), is he truly responsible for this misbehavior, given how the environment has beaten him down?

Your thinking is too narrow, what philosophers call reductionistic, by looking exclusively at the environment. I do not disagree that the environment played a part, even a large part, in this person’s rage. Yet, is there now one and only one response that can be made: murder? No. This person has many options including seeking […]

Some philosophers say that everyone is always doing the best that he or she can when acting badly. Do you agree or disagree and why?

I disagree because some people do say that they know what they are doing is wrong and they go ahead anyway. Consider a person who murders another. Often, when being sentenced in a court of law, convicted people admit severe wrongdoing that was willed. The person currently is sorry, but at the time, now self-admittedly, […]

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To me, forgiveness is a sign of smug superiority. I can say, “I forgive you……see how moral I am and how immoral you are?” What do you think?

Some philosophers say that everyone is always doing the best that he or she can when acting badly. Do you agree or disagree and why?