Visions of Compassion

This book examines how Western behavioral science--which has generally focused on negative aspects of human nature--holds up to cross-cultural scrutiny, in particular the Tibetan Buddhist celebration of the human potential for altruism, empathy, and compassion. Resulting from a meeting between the Dalai Lama, leading Western scholars, and a group of Tibetan monks, this volume includes excerpts from these extraordinary dialogues as well as engaging essays exploring points of difference and overlap between the two perspectives.

Richard J. Davidson is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin. He is co-author or editor of seven books and is a Core Member of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Mind-Body Interactions.
Anne Harrington is Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University. She is the Associate Director of the Harvard University Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative and a Core Member of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Mind-Body Interactions.

Part 1: Historical and Philosophical Background
1: Zara Houshmound et al.: Training the Mind: First Steps in a Cross-Cultural Collaboration in Neuroscientific Research
2: Anne Harrington: A Science of Compassion or a Compassionate Science? What Do We Expect from a Cross-Cultural Dialogue with Buddhism?
3: Georges Dreyfus: Is Compassion an Emotion? A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Mental Typologies
4: Elliott Sober: Kindness and Cruelty in Evolution
5: His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Understanding Our Fundamental Nature
Dialogues, Part 1: Fundamental Questions
Part 2: Social, Behavioral, and Biological Explorations of Altruism, Compassion, and Related Constructs
6: Richard Davidson: Toward a Biology of Positive Affect and Compassion
7: Nancy Eisenberg: Empathy-Related Emotional Responses, Altruism, and Their Socialization
8: Ervin Staub: Emergency Helping, Genocidal Violence, and the Evolution of Responsibility and Altruism
9: Robert H. Frank: Altruism in Competitive Environments
Dialogues, Part 2: Pragmatic Extensions and Applications
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