Writing one chapter and organizing the data for another chapter for a new monograph on the role of emotions in ethics and law: Compassion at end of life as a test case.

The overarching purpose of this monograph is thus to provide an understanding and to thoroughly analyze the role that emotions play in normative decision-making (law and ethics). Concentrating on three cases of compassion at end-of-life as test cases (compassionate homicide, end-of-life care provision, and ethical decision-making at end-of-life), the monograph will examine how the emotion of compassion affects normative decision-making in law and ethics. To address this question, this monograph will pursue three Specific Aims: (1) to describe, understand and evaluate the process by which compassion at end-of-life affects decision-making and action-taking in law, bioethics and care settings; (2) to understand and analyze the facilitators and inhibitors of compassionate motivation and action; and (3) to suggest a comprehensive and evidence-based theory and mechanism of compassionate motivation and action in normative systems (law and ethics).