This book focuses on the degree to which certain moral and legal doctrines are rooted in specific passions that are then institutionalized in the form of criminal law. A philosophical analysis is developed of the following questions: When, if ever, should hatred be overcome by sympathy or compassion? What are forgiveness and mercy and to what degree do they require--both conceptually and morally--the overcoming of certain passions and the motivation by other passions? If forgiveness and mercy indeed are moral virtues, what role, if any, should they play in the law?
