Philosophy 220: Forgiveness and Repair

The concept of forgiveness feels very familiar, but it is surprisingly complex and difficult to pin down.  What counts as genuine forgiveness?  What are the limits of forgiveness?  What more is needed to repair relationships, on both personal and societal levels?  These are the kinds of questions that will be examined in this course.  Note: course meetings will occur at the Washington State Penitentiary, and the class will be composed of incarcerated and non-incarcerated students. Students must follow all rules and guidelines of the Penitentiary. Consent of the instructor is required, and students must also submit to, and pass, a criminal background check conducted by the Penitentiary. All semester, the course will meet at a non-standard time. Interested students should contact the instructor as soon as possible.