Ecofeminism Quotes

“It calls for compassion, most of all for the direct victims of our dominant food practices, but also those who are exploited by the contemporary industrial food system. It should also evoke some compassion for ourselves as we work through this complex set of demands to achieve a life whose flourishing does not diminish the flourishing of others. And, if the Dalai Lama’s challenging ideas about universal compassion make sense, we need to practice compassion even for those who support the industrial food system, not in spite of the slaughter of billions of innocent beings, but because of it. As the philosopher Baruch Spinoza observed, “Hatred is increased by reciprocal hatred, and may on the other hand be destroyed by love” (Spinoza and Morgan 2006, 83).

(Compassion and being human: Deane Curtin)”
― Carol J. Adams, Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth

“It calls for compassion, most of all for the direct victims of our dominant food practices, but also those who are exploited by the contemporary industrial food system. It should also evoke some compassion for ourselves as we work through this complex set of demands to achieve a life whose flourishing does not diminish the flourishing of others. And, if the Dalai Lama’s challenging ideas about universal compassion make sense, we need to practice compassion even for those who support the industrial food system, not in spite of the slaughter of billions of innocent beings, but because of it. As the philosopher Baruch Spinoza observed, “Hatred is increased by reciprocal hatred, and may on the other hand be destroyed by love” (Spinoza and Morgan 2006, 83).”

(Compassion and being human: Deane Curtin p. 1310”
― Carol J. Adams, Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth

“I generally prefer the word “compassion” to care or empathy. For me, compassion is a developed moral capability, whereas care or empathy are closer to the natural capacities that make compassion possible. Humans, and many other animals, naturally have empathy for the suffering of others. Compassion, on the other hand, is a cultivated aspiration to benefit other beings. “I use the word “compassion” in the way that the Dalai Lama articulates it in his recent book, Beyond Religion: “… although compassion arises from empathy, the two are not the same. Empathy is characterized by a kind of emotional resonance—feeling with the other person. Compassion, in contrast, is not just sharing experience with others, but also wishing to see them relieved of their suffering. Being compassionate does not mean remaining entirely at the level of feeling, which could be quite draining. After all, compassionate doctors would not be very effective if they were always preoccupied with sharing their patients’ pain. Compassion means wanting to do something to relieve the hardships of others, and this desire to help, far from dragging us further into suffering ourselves, actually gives us energy and a sense of purpose and direction. When we act upon this motivation, both we and those around us benefit still more. (2011, 55)”
(Compassion and being human: Deane Curtin)”
― Carol J. Adams, Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth