Lecture: The Neuroscience of Forgiveness
Dr Melike Fourie
Forgiveness is often described as a panacea for all wrongdoing with immense benefits for everyone involved. Until fairly recently, it has been relegated to the field of theology and religious study, quite opaque to empirical scientific enquiry. But what does recent science tell us about the evolution and biology of forgiveness, and what does it actually mean and require of us to forgive? In a country like South Africa with our racialised history of violence and oppression, a question like this takes on national significance. This lecture delves into what is currently understood about the neuroscience of forgiveness – a conceptual framework that illuminates its component processes and neuroanatomical architecture. Specifically, empirical evidence from social psychology and neuroscience suggests that forgiveness relies on three distinct and interacting psychological macro-components, namely cognitive control, perspective taking, and social valuation. In this analysis I strive to bring the science of forgiveness into conversation with the complexities of our local context, examining also some of the processes that may derail or facilitate forgiveness and repair. Dr Fourie's position has been made possible with funding from the Gabriel Foundation.