“To Forgive?” is an international conference directed by Francesco de Nigris of Francisco de Vitoria University, with co-direction from Joseph Cohen and Daniel Deasy at the Newman Centre for the Study of Religions in the School of Philosophy at University College Dublin (UCD). Taking place at UCD from September 1 to 4, 2026, the conference will bring together philosophers, theologians, political theorists, jurists, historians, and practitioners to explore forgiveness in its philosophical, theological, political, legal, historical, and anthropological dimensions.

The event seeks to address the infinite array of questions posed in regard to forgiveness, including its ethical or moral possibility or impossibility, its theological significance and importance, its political limits and effects for a given community or sociality, its juridical relevance or inappropriateness, and its implications and consequences for our historical consciousness. Central to the conference are the “aporias of forgiveness”: the tensions and paradoxes that arise when forgiveness is understood as an ethical practice, theological ideal, political instrument, or historical force.

Questions to be explored include whether forgiveness is conditional or unconditional; whether it presupposes justice, law, mercy, or clemency; whether it can occur without reconciliation; how it may be distinguished from forgetfulness, indifference, anonymity, amnesia, or simple “moving on”; whether it can embody domination, mastery, or sovereignty; and how it relates to temporality, obligation, care, punishment, and cultural and political belonging. The conference also asks who can forgive, and whether anyone can forgive for the dead.

Bringing together leading scholars from Europe, the US, and Australia, along with invited practitioners, the conference aims to strengthen dialogue between theory and practice. It aims to generate significant scholarly and public resources, including filmed lectures, a digital archive, a live open-access website, and open-access conference proceedings with a prestigious publication house.