Getting even [electronic resource] : forgiveness and its limits / Jeffrie G. Murphy.
We have all been victims of wrongdoing. Forgiving that wrongdoing is one of the staples of current pop psychology dogma; it is seen as a universal prescription for moral and mental health in the self-help and recovery section of bookstores. At the same time, personal vindictiveness as a rule is seen as irrational and immoral. In many ways, our thinking on these issues is deeply inconsistent; we value forgiveness yet at the same time now use victim-impact statements to argue for harsher penalties for criminals. Do we have a right to hate others for what they have done to us? The distinguished philosopher and law professor Jeffrie Murphy is a skeptic when it comes to our views on both emotions. In this short and accessible book, he 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 deserves to be more selectively granted.; Murphy grounds his views on careful analysis of the nature of forgiveness, a subtle understanding of the psychology of anger and resentment, and a fine appreciation of the ethical issues of self-respect and self-defense. He also uses accessible examples from law, literature, and religion to make his points. Providing a 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 is a classic example of philosophical thinking applied to a thorny, everyday problem.
Record details
- ISBN: 1423745868 (electronic bk.)
- ISBN: 9781423745860 (electronic bk.)
- ISBN: 1280482362
- ISBN: 9781280482366
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (ix, 138 p.)
- Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 2003.
Content descriptions
General Note: | Multi-User. CatMonthString:may.18 |
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-124) and index. |
Source of Description Note: | Description based on print version record. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | PSYCHOLOGY > Mental Health. Forgiveness. Forgiveness. |
Genre: | Electronic books. |