The Possibility of Anger without Blame

This chapter considers the idea that if blame is no longer appropriate (as I have argued, in our penumbral agency) one might think that anger is not appropriate. Indeed, a number of theorists have argued that we ought always to transition away from feeling anger. On these views, feeling anger is never justified. But this chapter argues against this picture: even if blame is not appropriate in some cases, anger still may be. Anger is especially useful, this chapter argues, in cases where someone’s status and dignity have been assaulted or undermined. The chapter argues that, in most cases, vengeance is not appropriate in anger but it is still quite possible to make sense of anger without the idea of a payback wish, or pain passing, or vengeance toward the wrongdoer. Anger, on my account, is an emotion concerned with accounting for the wrong and demanding rectification from the wrongdoer. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how allies ought to respond to the justified anger of those who have been wronged by historic or ongoing injustices, arguing that allies must avoid centering themselves and instead focus on addressing past and ongoing injustice.