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la5's review against another edition
5.0
Nussbaum lays out a detailed argument for why our transactional view of forgiveness is an expression of anger. She effectively refutes the notion that anger is a positive force (except for transitional moments that move us toward attempting to make the world a better place). She really does a great job of articulating the nuances between allowing wrongdoing to persist in a "don't sweat the small stuff" way vs. allowing individuals with whom we have frequent and important interactions to continue to harm us.
The book is weakest in its attempt to portray the need for "performative anger." She argues that it is appropriate to play into society's expectations around anger in order to obtain a good result. Her reasoning for why this is an acceptable course of action fails also comes up in her argument that governments have a responsibility to take more punitive action when the fairness of their society is brought into question (e.g. anti-racism/misogyny/etc.). This "ends justify the means" type of reasoning is more appropriate to a sociologist or political scientist, not a moral-ethical philosopher.
The book is weakest in its attempt to portray the need for "performative anger." She argues that it is appropriate to play into society's expectations around anger in order to obtain a good result. Her reasoning for why this is an acceptable course of action fails also comes up in her argument that governments have a responsibility to take more punitive action when the fairness of their society is brought into question (e.g. anti-racism/misogyny/etc.). This "ends justify the means" type of reasoning is more appropriate to a sociologist or political scientist, not a moral-ethical philosopher.
rheckner's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting and well-argued book. The analyses of anger and forgiveness are intriguing and worthy continued consideration and discussion. I find Nussbaum’s arguments about forgiveness (especially the Christian conception(s) of it) rather unpersuasive and debatable.
lizziethereader's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
This book features some interesting thoughts and arguments, though I feel like it is longer than it needed to be for the points it is making. I also felt that just establishing a link to literature and religion was a bit of a narrow view, when psychology and biology could probably have added another layer of complexity worth considering.
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