The Politics of Compassion provides a critical overview of the role of the emotions in politics. Compassion is a politically charged virtue, and yet we know suprisingly little about the uses (and abuses) of compassion in political environments. Covering sociology, political theory and psychology, and with contributions from Martha Nussbaum and Andrew Linklater amongst others, the book gives a succinct overview of the main theories of political compassion and the emotions in politics. It covers key concepts such as humanitarianism, political emotion and agency in relation to compassion as a political virtue. The Politics of Compassion will provide students and scholars scholars in political theory, international relations, political sociology and psychology with a comprehensive exposition and assessment of the politics of compassion.