"Medical ethics has placed undue emphasis on the autonomy of patients while neglecting social contexts and responsibilities. The author proposes an ethic of caring arising from women's experience that embraces the concrete reality of patients as embodied persons. This ethic of caring is rooted in a Western spiritual tradition that believes in a God of mercy and so demands that we be merciful as well. The truly merciful heart (misericordia) is one that experiences compassion, but also knows its requirements."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This book is primarily for a general audience of persons of good will, regardless of faith or non-faith, as well as for professionals who counsel others on the issues discussed. Written in a simple, straightforward language, it is meant to help people dialogue on acrimoniously divisive issues that divide and undermine our nation--such as abortion, family planning, contraception, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and LGBTQ issues--through respectful dialogue in public forums (small or large) by searching for mediating middle ground compromises, just as trade and peace negotiators do. No one in the dialogue may be satisfied with the concessions they have to make but they can at least live with them until better solutions are found. Those engaging in such dialogue must be open to understanding where others are coming from, and be respectful of the good-faith consciences of others, and avoiding passing laws that would the consciences of others.

This book is primarily for a general audience of persons of good will, regardless of faith or non-faith, as well as for professionals who counsel others on the issues discussed. Written in a simple, straightforward language, it is meant to help people dialogue on acrimoniously divisive issues that divide and undermine our nation—such as abortion, family planning, contraception, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and LGBTQ issues—through respectful dialogue in public forums (small or large) by searching for mediating middle ground compromises, just as trade and peace negotiators do. No one in the dialogue may be satisfied with the concessions they have to make but they can at least live with them until better solutions are found. Those engaging in such dialogue must be open to understanding where others are coming from, and be respectful of the good-faith consciences of others, and avoiding passing laws that would the consciences of others.

Nonhuman animals have many of the same feelings we do. They get hurt, they suffer, they are happy, and they take care of each other. Marc Bekoff, a renowned biologist specializing in animal minds and emotions, guides readers from high school age up—including older adults who want a basic introduction to the topic—in looking at scientific research, philosophical ideas, and humane values that argue for the ethical and compassionate treatment of animals. Citing the latest scientific studies and tackling controversies with conviction, he zeroes in on the important questions, inviting reader participation with "thought experiments" and ideas for action. Among the questions considered: • Are some species more valuable or more important than others? • Do some animals feel pain and suffering and not others? • Do animals feel emotions? • Should endangered animals be reintroduced to places where they originally lived? • Should animals be kept in captivity? • Are there alternatives to using animals for food, clothing, cosmetic testing, and dissection in the science classroom? • What can we learn by imagining what it feels like to be a dog or a cat or a mouse or an ant? • What can we do to make a difference in animals’ quality of life? Bekoff urges us not only to understand and protect animals—especially those whose help we want for our research and other human needs—but to love and respect them as our fellow beings on this planet that we all want to share in peace.

With the ever-increasing diversity and social complexity in Canadian classrooms, teachers need to understand and respond to current social issues from a place of compassion. This insightful contributed volume brings together leading academics from across Canada to discuss the evolution of student populations in Canadian schools, exploring the social issues that affect students’ lived realities. Using a student-centred methodology, the authors examine a wide range of critical topics, including mental health, Indigenous education, queer education, racism, youth radicalization, disability, religious responsiveness, high-poverty schools, teacher-parent communication, English-language learners, and refugee student support. Readers learn how to navigate difficult situations in the classroom with empathy and a thoughtful, informed ethics of care, and to consider the distinct experiences and sociocultural realities that inform students’ actions. Encouraging critical reflection and a deeper understanding of diversity, The Compassionate Educator serves as a vital resource for students in teacher education programs and for practicing educators across Canada.

Connolly offers validation, support, and healing tools for sensitive people healing from childhood abuse and other trauma. Warm, inclusive language and practical exercises help survivors uncover their wellspring of compassion, understand their reactions to trauma, rebuild self-trust, and respond to their inner voices with kindness.

Compassion is a word we use frequently but rarely precisely. One reason we lack a philosophically precise understanding of compassion is that moral philosophers today give it virtually no attention. Indeed, in the predominant ethical traditions of the West (deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics), compassion tends to be either passed over without remark or explicitly dismissed as irrelevant. And yet in the predominant ethical traditions of Asia, compassion is centrally important: All else revolves around it. This is clearly the case in Buddhist ethics, and compassion plays a similarly indispensable role in Confucian and Daoist ethics. In Compassion and Moral Guidance, Steve Bein seeks to explain why compassion plays such a substantial role in the moral philosophies of East Asia and an insignificant one in those of Europe and the West. The book opens with detailed surveys of compassion’s position in the philosophical works of both traditions. The surveys culminate in an analysis of the conceptions of self and why the differences between these conceptions serve either to celebrate or marginalize the importance of compassion. Bein moves on to develop a model for the ethics of compassion, including a chapter on applied ethics seen from the perspective of the ethics of compassion. The result is a new approach to ethics, one that addresses the Rawlsian and Kantian concern for fairness, the utilitarian concern for satisfactory consequences, and the concern in care ethics for the proper treatment of marginalized groups. Bein argues that compassion’s capacity to address all of these makes it a primary tool for ethical decision-making.