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Forgiveness is institutionally mediated, not an isolable modular output

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

Don Ross
Don Ross*
Affiliation:
School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa. [email protected]://uct.academia.edu/DonRoss
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Abstract

McCullough et al. recognize that revenge and forgiveness jointly constitute a functional strategic complex. However, they model the halves of the complex as outputs of modules selected for regulating dyadic relationships. This is backwards. Forgiveness is a culturally evolved institution that can be exapted for use in dyadic contexts; it would be cheap talk among dyads were it not for the shadow of society.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 35 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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References

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