Recognized for decades for his work in Classical Studies, in areas such as Ancient Theatre, History of Emotions, History of Forgiveness and History of Religions, North American professor David Konstan, from New York University, arrives at Unicamp in March for a season as resident scientist at the Institute for Advanced Studies (IdEA). He will give a series of conferences entitled “Revenge, Retribution and Reconciliation: from Antiquity to the present day”, in which he will address texts from the classical Greco-Roman period and their possible repercussions on the resolution of contemporary conflicts linked to forgiveness and amnesty.
Konstan, who has already participated in academic activities at Unicamp twice, intends to explore, in his lectures, issues such as forgiveness for crimes committed by the State, such as apartheid in South Africa and military dictatorships in South America. In an interview with Unicamp Portal, the professor says that he expects the collaboration of colleagues and students throughout his activities at IdEA to identify themes and sources relevant to his research. The theme “Revenge, Retribution and Reconciliation” should be the focus of his next book, which he also intends to release in Portuguese.
Among his most recent publications are “Before Forgiveness: The Origins of a Moral Idea” (Cambridge University Press, 2010), “In the Orbit of Love: Affection in Ancient Greece and Rome” (Oxford University Press, 2018) and “The Origin of Sin: Greece and Rome, Early Judaism and Christianity” (Ed. Bloomsbury, 2022). In Brazil, “A Amizade no Mundo Clássico” was published (Ed. Odysseus, 2005).
Despite his extensive work in Classical Literature, the professor graduated in Mathematics (1961), having started studying Ancient Greek and Latin in his last year of college. He earned a master's degree (1963) and doctorate (1967) in Classical Studies from Columbia University and, between 1967 and 1987, was on faculty at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. In 1987, he transferred to Brown University in Rhode Island, where he remained until 2010, when he joined the faculty of New York University (NYU).
The series of lectures, which will take place in the Auditorium of the Institute of Language Studies (IEL), will begin on March 30, at 10 am, with the lecture entitled “Is revenge a dish that is eaten cold? Revenge and emotions from the perspective of Law, Sociology, Psychology and Anthropology”. The series of lectures continues, always on Thursdays, with the themes: “Revenge versus Retribution: Punishment and the Law of Talion” (13/04); “Forgiveness and reconciliation: examples in Aristotle, the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament” (20/04); “Honor and Revenge: is reconciliation always possible? Examples from Homer’s Iliad and Xenophon’s Cyropaedia” (27/04); “Disputes between family clans, social and political groups and other manifestations of revenge” (04/05); “The Psychology of Revenge” (11/05); “Revenge and Retribution: case studies at the individual, social group and State levels” (25/05); and “Reconciliation: case studies based on the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in South Africa” (01/06).
Registration is open on the IdEA website.
According to Konstan, the perception that Western classical antiquity was able to resolve disputes even without the idea of “forgiveness” in its modern sense may indicate a path in the search for solutions to issues involving conflictual relationships in contemporary society.
Read the interview that the NYU professor gave to the Unicamp Portal:
Unicamp Portal - What are your expectations for the scientific residency at IdEA at Unicamp?
David Konstan - My expectations are triple. First, it is an opportunity to work with colleagues and students from Unicamp and across Brazil, exchanging ideas, reading each other's work, expanding horizons and possibly even discovering opportunities for joint projects. Secondly, my residency offers free time to carry out my own research, which these days covers a fairly wide range of topics. And, last but not least, I will focus on the theme of my course “Revenge, Retribution and Reconciliation”, thinking together with the enrolled students, preparing my lectures, and keeping in mind the possibility of writing a book on the topic, the be published in Portuguese.
PU - Among the various themes that you have dedicated yourself to in recent years, what were the reasons for choosing “revenge, retribution and reconciliation” for the Unicamp lectures?
David Konstan - As you know, I wrote a book about the origins of forgiveness, but I did not investigate in detail the role of forgiveness specifically in relation to revenge and retribution. Another topic I've worked on over the years is the history of emotions. Last summer I attended a conference on revenge and argued that revenge can be distinguished from retribution precisely because revenge is motivated by anger; which is essential to its nature. I have also examined cases of reconciliation that do not involve forgiveness. All of these themes converged to suggest the theme of the course.
PU - Why did the concept of forgiveness only emerge in the Western world in the 18th century?
David Konstan - As you know, I recently published, in 2022, a book on the origin of sin, in which I argued that sin has a special meaning in the Bible, which is distinct from that of the classical Greco-Roman world. Forgiveness, I believe, arose specifically in relation to sin, and only God can forgive sin. It would be arrogant for a human being to imagine doing so. It was only with the secularization of morality during the Enlightenment that forgiveness became dissociated from sin, thus becoming a matter of interpersonal reconciliation. But this has not been without its own problems. To forgive, we need to be sure that the offender has really changed his mind. This is easy for God to detect, but not for us mortals. Forgivers demanded a kind of conversion experience from the offender, a holdover from the religious origins of the idea. Today, forgiveness has been critically examined, and perhaps for good reason.
PU - Does this concept of forgiveness appear in Antiquity in other religions and cultures, such as in the Islamic world or in Confucian China?
David Konstan - In Islam, forgiveness is linked to God and the concept of sin, as in the other two Abrahamic religions. I have not found a comparable conception in classical China, although I have worked with colleagues in that field. Last year, in fact, a book I edited was published, entitled “Emotions across Cultures: Ancient China and Greece” (Ed. De Gruyter, 2022). But a truly cross-cultural study of forgiveness is much needed.
PU - How can studying the history of emotions and, in this specific case, forgiveness, help in understanding contemporary social processes that involve this type of relationship, as in the case of amnesty in South Africa?
David Konstan - One of the problems with forgiveness is that it is considered a sign of spiritual maturity: if we cannot forgive, it is because we are still hurt, still injured, and it is we who must grow and be healed. This pressure to forgive became evident in the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and in Bishop Tutu's [Desmond Tutu, 1931-2021] eloquent defense of forgiveness in his writings. But it involves assumptions about psychic health and also dangers. Is it always right to forgive? Is this perhaps a way of tolerating the behavior of those who have offended or harmed us? Is giving back perhaps the best way to restore relationships and community? The fact that (if I am right) Classical Antiquity managed to overcome the conflict even without the idea of forgiveness in the modern sense may help to find answers to such questions.
PU - What case studies about Latin America do you intend to use in your course?
David Konstan - I'm planning to look at Argentina, Peru and Brazil in the first instance. I am still collecting material relating to the commissions and other forums that were developed in those countries, and I confess that, to a certain extent, I count on colleagues from Brazil and students on the course to help me identify the relevant sources. This part of the course will be interactive, which is, I think, a good thing.
PU - The issue of amnesty and pardon is very present in Brazil's recent history, as in the case of crimes committed during the military dictatorship (1964-1985). Does the political and social conflict resulting from the trials of crimes committed by the State have a greater burden on a society than amnesty, forgiveness and oblivion?
David Konstan - You touched on the heart of the matter here. Protesters everywhere, for example in Argentina and Venezuela, carried signs saying: “We will never forget!” or “We must not forget!” Forgiveness turns into mere forgetting, and, in fact, Borges [Jorge Luis Borges, 1899-1986] stated that forgetting is the only way to forgive. But isn't this just a way to let people get away with it? And isn't it a terrible example if the offenders have control of the state apparatus? These are open questions, and there are no easy answers.
PU - What were your previous experiences with Unicamp and Brazil like?
David Konstan - I've been to Brazil several times (I think it's seven or eight) and twice to Unicamp — the last in 2018, when, among other things, I participated in a colloquium on the topic of sin, organized for me, as I was researching in depth for the book at the time. I participated in defense panels for several Brazilian doctoral students and gave lectures in many cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porte Alegre and several others. I have many friendships with Brazilian scholars, at least five of whom spent time as visitors at my own university — formerly Brown, now New York University. So yes, the personal factor is really important. Let me add to this a fascination with Brazilian culture in all its aspects: its music and dance, its literature, its ethos social and, let me confess, its cuisine. So there is a lot to draw me back and so I jumped at the chance to be a fellow at IDEA.
Read more:
Learn more about NYU Professor David Konstan
Revenge, Retribution and Reconciliation: from Antiquity to the present day
