The compassionate temperament : care and cruelty in modern society / Natan Sznaider.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sznaider, Natan, 1954-

Series:

Postmodern social futures

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Altruism.

Caring.

Helping behavior.

Civilization, Modern.

Physical Description:

ix, 129 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, [2001]

Summary:

The argument of this book is that it is in the nature of modernity to foster compassion. Most critics tend to think of modernity as corrosive of moral sentiments. They see clearly the way in which modernity breaks down older social bonds, but they are much less attentive to the ways in which it also builds new ones. This book offers an historically informed corrective to this common view.

Sznaider demonstrates that compassion, understood as the organized campaign to lessen the suffering of strangers, is a distinctly modern form of morality. It played an important role in the rise of modern society, and it continues to play an important role today. And when waves of compassion break out into demands for political action, these demands need to be understood rather than criticized as excuses or irrelevancies. Both erudite and historically rich, this book incorporates and critiques the work of Arendt, Foucault, and other social theorists.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-121) and index.

ISBN:

0847695557

0847695565

OCLC:

44425540