This book provides a critical overview of the role of the emotions in politics. Compassion is a politically charged virtue, and yet we know surprisingly little about the uses (and abuses) of compassion in political environments.
Covering sociology, political theory and psychology, and with contributions from Martha Nussbaum and Andrew Linklater amongst others, the book gives a succinct overview of the main theories of political compassion and the emotions in politics. It covers key concepts such as humanitarianism, political emotion and agency in relation to compassion as a political virtue.
The Politics of Compassion is a fascinating resource for students and scholars of political theory, international relations, political sociology and psychology.
1. Theorising Political Compassion Maureen Whitebrook 2. Compassion and the Problem of Invisibility in Arendt’s Public Space Gudrun von Tevenar 3. Compassion as Risk Lola Frost 4. Towards a Sociology of Compassion in World Affairs Andrew Linklater 5. Motivating Support for Cosmopolitan Political Institutions: The Role and Limits of Compassion Terry Macdonald 6. Compassion in the Practices of International Relations Mervyn Frost 7. The effect of guilt and anger on compassionate helping Nicholas Faulkner 8. The New Social Politics of Pity Iain Wilkinson 9. Compassion and the Lure of Suffering Joanne Faulkner 10. Unconditional Compassion: Wounded Subjects and the Politics of Rescue Paul Muldoon 11. Pity, Compassion, and Forgiveness: The Moral Terrain David Konstan 12. Compassion and Terror Martha Nussbaum 13. The Sublime Threshold: Compassion, Scale, and Attention in the Theater of Clemency Dorothy Noyes
Biography
Michael Ure is a Lecturer in Politics at Monash University, Australia.
Mervyn Frost is Professor of International Relations, and Head of the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, UK.
