Evil, Political Violence, and Forgiveness

Essays in Honor of Claudia Card

Andrea Veltman, Kathryn J. Norlock

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2009
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9798216322252
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

Until recently, philosophers have discussed evil primarily in theodicial contexts in pondering why a perfect God does not abolish evil. Evil, Political Violence, and Forgiveness: Essays in Honor of Claudia Card reflects a burgeoning interest among philosophers in a broader array of ethical and political questions concerning evils. Written in tribute to Claudia Card-whose distinguished academic career has culminated in the development of a new theory of evil-this collection of new essays explores the concept of evil, the multifaceted harms of brutal political violence, and the appropriateness of forgiveness as an ethical response to evils.

Evil, Political Violence, and Forgiveness brings together an international cohort of distinguished philosophers who mediate with Card upon an array of twentieth-century atrocities and on the nature of evil actions, persons, and institutions. Contributors explore questions such as "What distinguishes evil from lesser wrongdoing?" "Is culpable wrongdoing a necessary component of evil?" "How are we to understand atrocious political violence?" "What are the best moral and political responses to atrocities?" "Are there moral obligations to forgive contrite perpetrators of evils?" and "Can anyone claim moral innocence amid a climate of evildoing?"

Table of contents

• Evil, Political Violence, and Forgiveness
• Contents
• Chapter One: Introduction
• Chapter Two: The Prevalence of Evil
• Chapter Three: Epistemic Aspects of Evil: The Three Monkeys Meet The Atrocity Paradigm
• Chapter Four: Atrocity, Harm, and Resistance: A Situated Understanding of Genocidal Rape
• Chapter Five: War Rape and the Political Concept of Evil
• Chapter Six: When to Intervene: Atrocity, Inequality, and Oppression
• Chapter Seven: Evil and Forgiveness: The Possibility of Moral Redemption
• Chapter Eight: Moral Powers and Forgivable Evils
• Chapter Nine: Self-Inflicted Evils and Self-Forgiveness
• Chapter Ten: Evil, Atrocity, and Harm
• Chapter Eleven: Reframing Perspectives on Evil: Accountability, Moral Responsibility, and Collective Judgment
• Chapter Twelve: Afterword
• Index
• About the Authors