Forgiveness in Counseling: A Philosophical Perspective

This chapter recognizes that forgiveness may sometimes not reflect lack of self-respect and may sometimes serve to motivate sinners to repent, but argues against universally advocating for forgiveness. Robert Enright discusses forgiveness in counseling. In addition, it describes the forgiveness of others and treats the other two elements in the triad in a much more cursory way. Forgiveness is often a wonderful-even blessed-thing. Perhaps it is even reasonable to regard it as the default position. The only concern is that allegiance to this value should not be blind-it should be tempered with a consideration of the possibility that, for some people in some contexts, it might not be the course to be recommended by either good philosophy or good counseling.