More than a nice ritual
Official apologies as a rhetorical act in need of theoretical re-conceptualization
Official apologies are public statements of regret presented in the name of collectivities such as nation states, governments, or religious institutions for wrongful actions in the past. This paper argues that we need a theoretical re-conceptualization of the genre in order to better understand its role in civic life. Regarding official apologies as an instantiation of rhetorical citizenship is more productive than regarding them as analogous to interpersonal apologies because they have less to do with forgiveness than commonly assumed. Rather, one of their main functions is to confront and argue about endoxa, commonly accepted opinions, and how they have been ignored or distorted in practice. In this way, official apologies have the potential to serve as an occasion and forum for public discourse on the norms and values informing that community at a given point in time.
References (29)
References
Bauer, S. (2008).
The Art of the Public Grovel. Sexual Sin & Public Confession in America
. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Condit, C. (1999). Crafting Virtue: The Rhetorical Construction of Public Morality. In J. Lucaites, C. Condit, & S. Caudill (Eds.)
Contemporary Rhetorical Theory. A Reader
(pp. 306–325). New York, NY: Guildford Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
De Grieff, P. (2008). The Role of Apologies in National Reconciliation Processes: On Making Trustworthy Institutions Trusted In M. Gibney, R. Howard-Hassmannn, J.-M. Coicaud, & N. Steiner (Eds.),
The Age of Apology. Facing Up to the Past
, (pp. 120–136) Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Griswold, C. (2007). Forgiveness: A Philosophical Exploration. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Govier, T. & Verwoerd, W. (2002). The Promise and Pitfalls of Apology. Journal of Social Philosophy, 33, 67–82. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kock, C. & Villadsen. L. (2012). Introduction: Citizenship as a Rhetorical Practice. In C. Kock & L. Villadsen (Eds.),
Rhetorical Citizenship and Public Deliberation
(1–12). University Park, PA: Penn State University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Koesten, J. & Rowland. R. (2004). The Rhetoric of Atonement. Communication Studies, 55, 68–87. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
La Caze, M. (2006). The Asymmetry between Apology and Forgiveness. Contemporary Political Theory, 5, 447–468. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lazare, A. (2004).
On Apology
. Oxford: Oxford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lind, J. (2008).
Sorry States. Apologies in International Politics
. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Löwenheim, N. (2009). A haunted past: requesting forgiveness for wrongdoing in International Relations. Review of International Studies, 35, 531–555. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Nobles, M. (2008). The Politics of Official Apologies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Smith, N.. (2008).
I was Wrong: The Meaning of Apologies in Life and Law
. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Tavuchis, N. (1991).
Mea Culpa. A Sociology of Apology and Reconciliation
. Stanford: Stanford University Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Thompson, J. (2008). Apology, Justice, and Respect: A Critical Defense of Political Apology. In M. Gibney, R. Howard-Hassmann, J.-M. Coicaud & N. Steiner (Eds.).
The Age of Apology. Facing up to the Past
(pp. 31–44). Philadelphia, PA: University of Penn State Press.![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Villadsen. L. (2008). Speaking on Behalf of Others: Rhetorical Agency and Epideictic Functions in Official Apologies. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 38, 25–45. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ware, B.L. & Linkugel, W. (1973). They Spoke in Defense of Themselves. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 59, 273–283. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Primary sources:
Ahern, B. (1999). May 11. Announcement on Government Measures Relating to Childhood Abuse. Formerly accessible at: [URL]
Anonymous (possibly Irish Minister of Education). (2003). March 30. Speech at the Open Information Day in London for Survivors of Institutional Abuse in response to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern’s speech May 11, 1999. Formerly accessible at: [URL]
Cameron, D. (2012). June 15. Statement in connection with publication of report on “Bloody Sunday”: [URL]. (Accessed Sept. 17, 2012)
Clinton, B. (1997). May 16. Apology for the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Reprinted in Harter, Lynn M., Ronald, J. Stephens and Phyllis M. Japp. “President Clinton’s Apology for the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: A Narrative of Remembrance, Redefinition, and Reconciliation.”
The Howard Journal of Communications
11 (2000). Or see: [URL]
Harper, S. (2008). June 11. Apology on behalf of Canadians for the Indian Residential Schools system: [URL]. (Accessed Sept. 17, 2012).
Nixon, R. (1952) Sept. 23. Checkers Speech: [URL]
Rudd, K. (2008). Feb.13. Apology to the “Stolen Generations”: [URL] (Accessed Sept. 17, 2012)
Rudd, K. (2009). Nov. 16. Apology to the “Forgotten” Australians and former Child Migrants: [URL] (Accessed Sept. 17, 2012)
Stoltenberg, T. (2012). Jan. 27. Speech at Holocaust Remembrance Day: [URL] (Accessed Sept. 17, 2012)
Westerberg, P. (2011). Nov. 21. Speech at “Vindication” Day. Available for download at: [URL]. (Accessed Sept. 17, 2012)
Secondary sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewinsky_scandal
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/gordon-brown/6170112/Gordon-Brown-Im-proud-to-say-sorry-to-a-real-war-hero.html
Cited by (3)
Cited by three other publications
Friedrich, Jasper
2022.
Settling Accounts at the End of History: A Nonideal Approach to State Apologies.
Political Theory 50:5
► pp. 700 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Villadsen, Lisa S.
2020.
Progress, but Slow Going: Public Argument in the Forging of Collective Norms.
Argumentation 34:3
► pp. 325 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Shchukina, Olga, Maksim Zadorin, Ivan Savelev, Irina Ershova & Tatiana Konopleva
2018.
Norwegian policy on sami language learning and preservation.
Polish Journal of Educational Studies 71:1
► pp. 185 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 24 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.