<underfire> on compassion

[Nicholas Ruiz III]

A common moment is that of compassion. 

 

As in the American voting populace, acting together, compassionately voting
the Republican Congress out of power.  A change of policy?  Perhaps.  And
yet, this election is ineluctably a common moment of compassion; of some
sentiment's active reverberations, being shared and circulated, and
capacitated completely.  

 

We should be careful however; compassion is not a de facto morality
statement of the good. One shares in an event, in a feeling of an event, and
yet often draws different conclusions and desires within it.  After all, it
was an opposing, anti-material vehemence that brought out this response-even
as it was a political compassion that led to this political event.  

 

The Republicans are no doubt, involved in and feeling the event of America
today, but they are somewhere else, on some other side of it.  They are
sharing this passion, but with a different meaning, no?

 

NRIII

 

 

 

Dr. Nicholas Ruiz III

Editor, Kritikos

http://intertheory.org <http://intertheory.org/> 

  _____  

From: underfire-bounces at underfire.eyebeam.org
[mailto:underfire-bounces at underfire.eyebeam.org] On Behalf Of Allan Siegel
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 1:58 PM
To: underfire at underfire.eyebeam.org
Subject: <underfire> on compassion

 

Every religion seems to have its own definition of compassion; what is
compassion anyway? Is it a sentiment or an action or both; is it an
intervention? A state of mind maybe?

 

If we see innocents being maimed or murdered is it enough 'to feel
compassion' for their suffering? Is this sufficient? Or is there another
course of action more worthy of the idea of compassion? Was self-immolation
by the Buddhist monk during the Vietnam War an act of compassion?

 

It is such a noble concept. Compassion. Bush talked of a 'compassionate
conservatism.' It seems that in the real world, political leaders and
spiritual leaders - who talk endlessly about compassion - whose task it is
to give substance to this concept have gotten side-tracked. Why is that?

 

In a moral universe in which compassion is so central a theme there seems to
be so many violations even dismissals of its relevence. Thus, within this
amoral environment, contrary to popular rhetoric, peace can be merely just
another pit-stop on an extension of the globalization superhighway. A a
momentary layover on the autostrada that connects one conflict to another. 

 

Compassion devoid of action is gratuitous. Where do compassion and
responsibility intersect? 

 

a.s.

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