Is Forgiveness Always the Right Thing to Do? — with Professor Luke Russell

Is forgiveness always the right thing to do?

Professor Luke Russell thinks the answer is no. In this conversation, we explore why Taylor Swift may be right to be cautious about forgiveness, why resentment is not always simply “poison”, and when refusing to forgive might be the more responsible response.

Luke is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney whose work focuses on ethics, evil and forgiveness.

We unpack what forgiveness actually means: whether it is a decision, an emotional change, or something that happens gradually over time. We also discuss the difference between an evil act and an evil person, Hannah Arendt’s idea of the banality of evil, coercion and moral responsibility, and whether ordinary people are capable of terrible wrongdoing.

A conversation about resentment, justice, responsibility, and moving on without pretending that what happened was okay.