PHI6650 - Value Theory

Lecturer:

Chris Bennett

Outline

In his story, The Sunflower, the Jewish Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal discusses an incident that occurred to him while he was an inmate in a Nazi concentration camp. A dying S.S. soldier asked his forgiveness for atrocities he had committed against the Jews. Wiesenthal refused to forgive, but the morality of his refusal continues to trouble him. It appears that Wiesenthal opted for retribution rather than forgiveness.

This story raises the question of what justifies forgiveness and retribution, and what the relationship between them is. This course examines the nature and justification of retributive emotions such as resentment, indignation, guilt and blame, and the nature and justification of forgiveness.

Is forgiveness a more compassionate and understanding response than simple blame? Is guilt merely a self-destructive emotion? Do we possess the free will that would be required for retributive responses to be justified?

This course gives particular attention to the thought - implicit in some interpretations of Hegel's talk of a "right to be punished" - that there is moral value in being treated as "a responsible agent." Could the justification of our retributive reactions be found by looking at their place in an attractive conception of interpersonal relations in which we regard one another as responsible?

Reading

The reading for this course will include the following:

T. Govier, Forgiveness and Revenge (Routledge, 2002)

Assessment

The module is assessed on the basis of one long essay between 4000 and 6000 words in length (for RMA or TMA candidates) or two short essays between 2000 and 3000 words in length (for TMA candidates only). Essay topics should be chosen in consultation with the course teacher concerned. The essays should be thought of as mini research-papers, whose content can be related more or less loosely to the material covered in the course. Students should meet with the lecturer, or other appropriate member of staff to discuss the topic and to discuss a draft of the essay.

Lectures and Seminars:

The module is also available to undergraduates, and further details of the module are available through the link on the right-hand side of this page.

If there are three or more postgraduates taking the module, a separate seminar will be scheduled for postgraduates only.