Philosopher Laurence Devillairs Rehabilitates Vengeance in New Book

Philosopher Laurence Devillairs has published a new book titled "Vengeance. Le droit de ne pas pardonner" (Stock), arguing that refusing to forgive can be an act of justice, lucidity, and dignity. In the book, she challenges the religious and social imperative to forgive, denouncing what she calls the "tyranny of forgiveness." Devillairs traces a philosophical lineage from Seneca to Spinoza to Nietzsche, positioning vengeance not as destructive passion but as a moral response to injustice. She draws on literary references including Racine's Andromache (Oreste's line "My innocence finally begins to weigh on me"). The philosopher, known for her clear, precise style, rejects abstract theorizing in favor of concrete situations and ordinary wounds. She argues that the demand to "move on" adds a second injury to the first, and that vengeance can restore a broken equilibrium. The book was discussed on the RFI program "Idées" hosted by Pierre-Édouard Deldique, aired on May 10, 2026. Musical excerpts included works by Jacques Duphly, Georg Friedrich Haendel, and Ryuichi Sakamoto.