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Single Idea 21026

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / f. Compassion ]

Full Idea

Daniel Batson's important research has shown us that compassion is not reliable on its own, because it can easily give priority to people close to the self.

Gist of Idea

Compassion is unreliable, because it favours people close to us

Source

Martha Nussbaum (Creating Capabilities [2011], 8)

Book Ref

Nussbaum,Martha C.: 'Creating Capabilities' [Belknap Harvard 2013], p.180

A Reaction

In Britain animal charities receive vastly more money than children's charities, presumably for this very reason. Kittens - you've got to hate them.

The 19 ideas from 'Creating Capabilities'

21007 Storytelling is never neutral; some features of the world must be emphasised [Nussbaum]
21009 Capabilities: Life, Health, Safety, Mental life, Love, Planning, Joining in, Nature, Play, Control [Nussbaum, by PG]
21010 Justice requires that the ten main capabilities of people are reasonably enabled [Nussbaum]
21008 Liberalism does not need a comprehensive account of value [Nussbaum]
21011 We shouldn't focus on actual preferences, which may be distorted by injustices [Nussbaum]
21012 Women are often treated like children, and not respected for their choices [Nussbaum]
21015 Negative liberty is incoherent; all liberties, to do and to be, require the prevention of interference [Nussbaum]
21013 Capabilities are grounded in bare humanity and agency; qualifying as rational is not needed [Nussbaum]
21014 Rights are not just barriers against state interference; governments must affirm capabilities of citizens [Nussbaum]
21016 Political and civil rights are not separate from economic and social rights [Nussbaum]
21019 Social contracts assume equal powers among the participants [Nussbaum]
21020 Any establishment belief system is incompatible with full respect for all citizens [Nussbaum]
21017 Political freedom is an incoherent project, because some freedoms limit other freedoms [Nussbaum]
21022 The Capabilities Approach sees animals as agents, not just as having feelings [Nussbaum]
21021 Keep premises as weak as possible, to avoid controversial difficulties [Nussbaum]
21025 Particularism gives no guidance for the future [Nussbaum]
21023 We should respect animals in the way that we respect the animal nature in humans [Nussbaum]
21024 It may be no harm to kill an animal which cannot plan for its future [Nussbaum]
21026 Compassion is unreliable, because it favours people close to us [Nussbaum]