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What is forgiveness? Why and when should we forgive? Does
forgiving run counter to justice? Is forgiveness purely a religious concept? How
does it connect to philosophical conceptions of duty and community? These
questions direct the Easter Sunday episode of Why? with a special
emphasis on how a philosopher's research leads him or her to new and related
topics.
Charles L. Griswold, Jr. is a
historian of philosophy whose research has spanned the history of philosophy
itself. Originally a scholar of ancient philosophy, Griswold made his reputation
with an exploration of Plato's account of self-knowledge. He continued this
theme of self-examination through an investigation of the moral theories of
enlightenment philosopher Adam Smith, a thinker who recognized that in order to
know oneself, one has to understand and internalize the perspectives of others.
Forgiveness is the next step of this journey. Join Griswold as he connects
ancient accounts of what it means to forgive with the most modern accounts of
political recognition and the place of apology in this most contemporary of
issues.
Charles L. Griswold, Jr. is
Professor of Philosophy at Boston University and the former chair of his
department.
He has taught at Howard University, and held visiting
appointments at the
Université de Paris-Panthéon-Sorbonne, Yale University, and Georgetown
University. In 1995, he won the Outstanding
Teaching Award from the Boston University Honors Program
of the College of Arts and Sciences. His most recent book
Forgiveness: A Philosophical Exploration has attracted the attention of some
of the most notable minds in moral debate today, including Ellie Wiesel who
writes, "Rarely has a philosopher offered his fervent students and
readers such depth, knowledge and sensitivity as Charles Griswold has done in
this volume that deals with one of the most urgent topics facing humankind
today."
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