Limit search to available items
Book Cover
E-book
Author Nussbaum, Martha C. (Martha Craven), 1947- author

Title Political emotions : why love matters for justice / Martha C. Nussbaum
Published Cambridge, Masssachusetts : The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2013
©2013

Copies

Description 1 online resource (viii, 457 pages)
Contents A problem in the history of liberalism -- Equality and love : Rousseau, Herder, Mozart -- Religions of humanity I : Auguste Comte, J.S. Mill -- Religions of humanity II : Rabindranath Tagore -- The aspiring society : equality, inclusion, distribution -- Compassion : human and animal -- "Radical evil" : helplessness, narcissism, contamination -- Teaching patriotism : love and critical freedom -- Tragic and comic festivals : shaping compassion, transcending disgust -- Compassion's enemies : fear, envy, shame -- How love matters for justice
Summary Analyzing the role of emotion in political life, draws from a range of global sources to suggest that the cultivation of emotions--specifically love--can inspire individuals to sacrifice for the common good
"How can we achieve and sustain a "decent" liberal society, one that aspires to justice and equal opportunity for all and inspires individuals to sacrifice for the common good? In this book, a continuation of her explorations of emotions and the nature of social justice, Martha Nussbaum makes the case for love. Amid the fears, resentments, and competitive concerns that are endemic even to good societies, public emotions rooted in love--in intense attachments to things outside our control--can foster commitment to shared goals and keep at bay the forces of disgust and envy. Great democratic leaders, including Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., have understood the importance of cultivating emotions. But people attached to liberalism sometimes assume that a theory of public sentiments would run afoul of commitments to freedom and autonomy. Calling into question this perspective, Nussbaum investigates historical proposals for a public "civil religion" or "religion of humanity" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Auguste Comte, John Stuart Mill, and Rabindranath Tagore. She offers an account of how a decent society can use resources inherent in human psychology, while limiting the damage done by the darker side of our personalities. And finally she explores the cultivation of emotions that support justice in examples drawn from literature, song, political rhetoric, festivals, memorials, and even the design of public parks. "Love is what gives respect for humanity its life," Nussbaum writes, "making it more than a shell." Political Emotions is a challenging and ambitious contribution to political philosophy"--Publisher's description
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 405-436, 437-447) and index
Notes Online resource; title from digital title page (JSTOR platform, viewed April 17, 2017)
Subject Political science -- Philosophy.
Emotions -- Political aspects
Emotions (Philosophy)
Political psychology.
POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Essays.
POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Government -- General.
POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Government -- National.
POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Reference.
PHILOSOPHY -- Political.
Emotions (Philosophy)
Emotions -- Political aspects
Political psychology
Political science -- Philosophy
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780674728288
0674728289