Reconciliation and Reparations

Abstract

This article provides an account of the meaning of reparations and presents a brief explanation as to why African Americans believe they are entitled to reparations from the United States government. It then goes on to explain why reparations are necessary to address the distrust that is thought to exist between many African Americans and their government. Finally, it rejects the belief that reparations require reconciliation. RECONCILIATION AND REPARATIONS 547 value of reparations. In what follows, I shall focus on categories (1) and (3). Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and ReparationsAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary (Soanes and Stevenson 2004Stevenson , 558, 1218Stevenson , 1201, these are the current meanings of the following English words:Forgive. 1. Stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an offense or mistake. 2. Excuse (an offense, flaw, or mistake).Reparation. 1. The making of amends for a wrong. 2. Compensation for war damage paid by a defeated state. 3. The action of repairing.Reconcile. 1. Restore friendly relations between. 2. Make or show to be compatible. 3. Make (someone) accept (a disagreeable thing).

UNTHINKING RACIAL REALISM: A FUTURE FOR REPARATIONS?1

“…For an account of the inheritance argument, see Boxill (2010). For a recent defense of Black reparations that retains a distinction between victims and wrongdoers, see McGary (2010).…”

‘The Captain of the Band is un Galant Uomo’: The Good Bandit from Boccaccio to Washington Irving

“…In light of the numerous objections to social banditry that have been raised, in particular about its efficacy in the Italian context, this article proposes a different theoretical framework based on the philosophy of reconciliation. Over the last two decades, there has been an ongoing debate in the philosophical field of ethics about the meaning and substance of terms such as apology, forgiveness, reparation, and mercy, especially within the context of transitional societies (Dwyer, 1999;McGary, 2010;Méndez, 1997;Meierhenrich, 2008;Radzik & Murphy, 2019).…”

Collective Responsibility as Resistance to White Supremacy

“…My focus on the harms of group complicities in injustice contributes to the philosophical study of collective responsibility for slavery and colonialism. Bernard Boxill, Howard McGary, and Janna Thompson have considered reparations as a project of liberal political institutions (Thompson 2006;McGary 2010;Boxill 2003). The political project of collective responsibility is enhanced by focusing on the roles social groups play in persistent injustice for at least two reasons: First, there is an extraordinary amount of political will necessary to create meaningful political programs of redress.…”