Abstract
ABSTRACT Scholars have debated the value and utility of compassion as a public feeling. Advocates identify compassion as a key to creating a just society where care is routinely provided for others. Critics claim that compassion cannot contribute to the public sphere and leads to individualized, private solutions to a collective problem accompanied by moral self-satisfaction. To address this scholarly divergence, I use the case of Laika, the dog launched by the Soviet Union into orbit around Earth where she died. Her flight and death highlight how compassion produced risky collective action designed to mitigate her suffering that was nonetheless limited by ideology and trauma.
Published Version
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