Very pleased indeed to have contributed to this book, in a slightly unusual way. NOT from the psychological, approach about improving our relationships, making better people of ourselves, etc , but using compassion as a TOOL to help change the world.
Yes, it’s a grand hope, but I am not the first to hold it. It was fundamental to the philosophy of the Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and many of the other great historical characters. More surprisingly, it was fundamental to David Hume, whose Wealth of Nations is often seen as the driver of today’s greed creed. Yes, it was, but only because so many people (economists especially) overlook his companion volume Theory of Moral Sentiments (actually published first), in which he argues that the pursuit of individual self-interest (the foundation of the greed creed) can only work if it is embedded in a foundation of a concern for the welfare of others.
In my chapter in this wonderful book I develop practical arguments, based on game theory and the modern science of complexity, for just how this can be brought about.