If it is not tempered by compassion, and empathy, reason can lead men and women into a moral void…

Karen Armstrong

Tempered by Compassion

Topic: Love, Compassion, & Kindness

If it is not tempered by compassion, and empathy, reason can lead men and women into a moral void, and even into a kind of madness.

Karen Armstrong

Karen Armstrong is a British author and commentator primarily known for her works on comparative religion. Born in 1944 in Worcestershire, England, she initially joined a Roman Catholic religious order and spent seven years as a nun. This early chapter of her life provided a foundation for her enduring quest to understand spirituality, but it was only after leaving the convent and attending Oxford University that she began to explore the religious traditions of the world. Her experience both within and outside the convent shaped her conviction that faith is deeply intertwined with human history and psychology.

Armstrong has written more than 20 books, including bestsellers like "A History of God" and "The Battle for God." Her writing seeks to illuminate the common threads that run through the world’s major religions, emphasizing the importance of compassion, ethics, and the interconnectedness of all human experience. Armstrong has the rare ability to distill complex religious and historical concepts into language that is both accessible and resonant, making her a sought-after speaker and advisor on matters of faith and interfaith dialogue.

Her impact extends beyond academia and the written word; she is also the creator of the Charter for Compassion, a cooperative effort to restore compassionate thinking and action to the center of moral and religious life. The Charter has received international recognition and serves as a testament to Armstrong’s commitment to bringing a nuanced understanding of faith into everyday life. Through her writings and initiatives, she contributes to the ongoing dialogue about what it means to be a compassionate human being in a diverse and often divisive world.

Civil Religion, Civil Society
Twelve Steps To A Compassionate Life

Armstrong, Karen. Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.

Karen Armstrong

Theme: Compassion

About Karen Armstrong’s Quote [Commentary]

Karen Armstrong warns that “if it is not tempered by compassion, and empathy, reason can lead men and women into a moral void, and even into a kind of madness.” While reason allows for logical decision-making, it does not guarantee moral action. Without compassion, reason can justify harm, indifference, or self-interest at the expense of others. Armstrong reminds us that intellect alone is not enough—ethical concern must guide its use.

She emphasizes that while reason has driven human progress, it must be balanced by qualities that recognize shared humanity. Compassion and empathy ensure that rationality does not become an instrument of self-interest but instead serves justice and ethical responsibility. When reason operates without these qualities, individuals and societies risk moral blindness, where suffering is ignored or rationalized in the name of ideology or efficiency.

Armstrong’s statement reflects the idea that wisdom requires more than intellect—it requires a heart attuned to others. Compassion “tempers” reason, ensuring that logic serves ethical purposes rather than becoming an abstract tool devoid of concern for human dignity. Without this balance, reason may not only lead to moral voids but also distort values, allowing decisions to be made without regard for their human consequences.

Karen Armstrong’s Definition of the Golden Rule

But compassion can’t be enacted without first grasping its essence in a way that reclaims it from the realm of abstraction and makes it an actionable quality. Armstrong offers a necessary definition:

“Compassion is aptly summed up in the Golden Rule, which asks us to look into our own hearts, discover what gives us pain, and then refuse, under any circumstance whatsoever, to inflict that pain on anybody else. Compassion can be defined, therefore, as an attitude of principled, consistent altruism…”

—Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps To A Compassionate Life. P. 45.

Additional Karen Armstrong quotations:

“One of the chief tasks of our time must surely be to build a global community in which all peoples can live together in mutual respect; yet religion, which should be making a major contribution, is seen as part of the problem. All faiths insist that compassion is the test of true spirituality and that it brings us into relation with the transcendence we call God, Brahman, Nirvana, or Tao. Each has formulated its own version of what is sometimes called the Golden Rule, “Do not treat others as you would not like them to treat you,” or in its positive form, “Always treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself.” Further, they all insist that you cannot confine your benevolence to your own group; you must have concern for everybody—even your enemies.”

—Karen Armstrong, The Charter for Compassion.

Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honor the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

―Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.

“As we develop our compassionate mind, we should feel an increasing sense of responsibility for the suffering of others and form a resolve to do everything we can to free them from their pain.”

―Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.

“Compassion derives from the Latin patiri and the Greek pathein, meaning “to suffer, undergo or experience.” So “compassion” means “to endure [something] with another person,” to put ourselves in somebody else’s shoes, to feel her pain as though it were our own, and to enter generously into his point of view. That is why our hearts, discover what gives us pain, and then refuse, under any circumstance whatsoever, to inflict that pain on anybody else. Compassion can be defined, therefore, as an attitude of principled, consistent altruism.”

―Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life.

Resources

The Charter For Compassion Website

Tempered by Compassion

Resources

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