FORGIVENESS AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE. THE CHALLENGES OF CONTEMPORARY LIBERAL SOCIETIES TO ARTICULATE A COHERENT DISCOURSE ABOUT FORGIVENESS

Abstract

Because forgiveness plays a main role in transitional justice, it is important to verify how forgiveness is justified by contemporary societies. However, we are facing a reality that seems to belong to the field of religion. Hence, what interests us is precisely the moral consideration of this discussion. Facing the morality of forgiveness, it is necessary to distinguish between unconditional forgiveness and conditional forgiveness. The questions that are raised with respect to each type are: whether it is possible to forgive and whether one should forgive. The inherent contradiction of those who affirm the obligatory nature of forgiveness results in the supererogatory character of forgiveness. If all forgiveness is supererogatory, then all forgiveness is always presented as something undeserved. Thus, the principal problem that remains unresolved is that we do not have starting points to embark on a discourse about forgiveness. The result is that our political communities do not really know how to manage situations such as transitional justice.