Sorry If! On Conditional Apologies
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2021
Published In
Ethical Theory And Moral Practice
Abstract
Usually, apologies are made by using non-conditional utterances: “I apologize for ruining your evening!” Very little, if any, attention has been given so far to conditional apologies which typically use utterances such as “If I have ruined your evening, I apologize!” This paper argues that such conditional utterances can constitute genuine apologies and play important moral roles in situations of uncertainty. It also proposes a closer analysis of such conditional apologies (rejecting some alternative accounts) and contrasts them with unconditional apologies.
Keywords
Apologies, Conditional apologies, Speech acts, Commitment
Recommended Citation
Peter Baumann.
(2021).
"Sorry If! On Conditional Apologies".
Ethical Theory And Moral Practice.
Volume 24,
1079-1090.
DOI: 10.1007/s10677-021-10259-4
https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-philosophy/604
