Download full text
(external source)
Citation Suggestion
Please use the following Persistent Identifier (PID) to cite this document:
https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v6i4.1393
Exports for your reference manager
The pitfalls of "Love and kindness": on the challenges to compassion/pity as a political emotion
[journal article]
Abstract Martha Nussbaum’s political theory of compassion offers an extensive and compelling study of the potential of employing compassionate emotions in the political realm to further social justice and societal "love". In this article, two pitfalls of Nussbaum's affirming theory of a politics of compassio... view more
Martha Nussbaum’s political theory of compassion offers an extensive and compelling study of the potential of employing compassionate emotions in the political realm to further social justice and societal "love". In this article, two pitfalls of Nussbaum's affirming theory of a politics of compassion are highlighted: the problem of a dual-level hierarchisation and the "magic" of feeling compassion that potentially removes the subject of compassion from reality. I will argue that Hannah Arendt’s thoughts on pity provide substantial challenges to a democratic theory of compassion in this respect. Following these theoretical reflections, I will turn to Hillary Clinton's 2016 US-American presidential election campaign, to her video ads "Love and Kindness" in particular, in order to provide fitting illustrations from current realpolitik for these specific pitfalls of the political employment of compassionate emotions.... view less
Keywords
Arendt, H.; Nussbaum, M.; emotionality; political theory
Free Keywords
Hillary Clinton; compassion; pity
Document language
English
Publication Year
2018
Page/Pages
p. 53-61
Journal
Politics and Governance, 6 (2018) 4
Issue topic
Interdisciplinary approaches to studying emotions within politics and international relations
ISSN
2183-2463
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed