LS 720 - Forgiveness and Revenge

(3.00 cr.)

How and when is forgiveness possible, and is revenge ever justified? Such deliberations underlie peace negotiations and conflict resolution, retributive versus distributive justice, and conflicting views of the prison-industrial complex. This course examines forgiveness and revenge through the rich philosophical tradition of Western and Eastern thought, applying this to analyses of contemporary cases. Aeschylus, Tolstoy, the Baghavad Gita, Gandhi, excerpts from the Koran and the Gospel of St. John will be among the texts studied. Students will be invited to reflect on the philosophical-historical consequences of adopting particular strategies of forgiveness/revenge.