Forgiveness: Do We Really Need It?
Professor Lucy Allais | Johns Hopkins University & University of the Witwatersrand
Tuesday, 28 October 2025 | 5:30pm doors for 5:45pm start | Chau Chak Wing Museum
When someone wrongs us, the impact often lingers — not just in hurt over what happened, but in the anger and resentment that we feel towards the wrongdoer. A common view is that we should try to let go, forgive, and move on for the sake of our own happiness. But is this really the best way to think about forgiveness?
After all, in cases of serious wrongdoing, anger and resentment can be justified. They can be ways of standing up for ourselves and insisting on respect. Why, then, should a victim be expected to set aside those feelings?
In this public conversation, philosopher Luke Russell will speak with Professor Lucy Allais about her influential writings on forgiveness. Together, they will explore whether forgiveness is better understood as a generous gift rather than a self-help strategy, and will try to identify the kind of emotional shift that happens when someone forgives. Along the way, they will weigh the benefits and the possible costs of forgiving, and ask: when is forgiveness worth giving, and when might it be better to withhold?
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
