title: Forgiveness is institutionally mediated, not an isolable modular output.
abstract: McCullough et al. recognize that revenge and forgiveness jointly constitute a functional strategic complex. However, they model the halves of the complex as outputs of modules selected for regulating dyadic relationships. This is backwards. Forgiveness is a culturally evolved institution that can be exapted for use in dyadic contexts; it would be cheap talk among dyads were it not for the shadow of society.
authors.affiliation: School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, Cape Town, South Africa. don.ross@uct.ac.za
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D061347:Forgiveness; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation