In the hustle-bustle of real life, it is inevitable that even the best-intentioned

among us occasionally may offend or be offended greatly. Such injury is

unpredictable. It may involve someone we just met; it may even spring from

someone close to us. While some offenses are trivial, others can be deep and

profound.

“Forgiveness is a virtue,” we repeat by rote. While the abstract concept of forgiveness

sounds rosy, someone who has suffered deep pain may discover that

actual forgiveness can be a formidable, soul-wrenching task that is loaded with

questions. Why should I be willing to forgive? Is the moral imperative always

to forgive? To what extent is forgiveness dependent on my feelings? Might it

sometimes be wrong to forgive?

There must be a boundary that divides the moral act of forgiving a perpetrator

of wrong and the immoral act of encouraging him to continue wronging with

impunity. How do we mark that boundary clearly, thereby ensuring the desired

outcome?

This course is eligable for 9 CLE credits (7 1/2 ethics)