When Bad Things Happen to Other People

<p>Although many of us deny it, it is not uncommon to feel pleasure over the suffering of others, particularly when we feel that suffering has been deserved. The German word for this concept-<em>Schadenfreude</em>-has become universal in its expression of this feeling. Drawing on the teachings of history's most prominent philosophers, John Portmann explores the concept of <em>Schadenfreude</em> in this rigorous, comprehensive, and absorbing study.</p> Acknowledgements; Introduction The Sometimes Sweet Suffering of Others; Key to Abbreviations; I. When Pretty Bad Things Happen to Other People; 1. Much Ado about Nothing?; 2. Explaining Schadenfreude ; II. When Reallly Bad Things Happen to Other People; 3. The Meaning of Suffering; 4. Wicked Feelings; 5. Celebrating Suffering; 6. Punishment and Its Pleasure; 7. Cheering with the Angels; 8. Outlaw Emotions; Conclusion The Moral Problem of Schadenfreude ; Notes; Works Consulted; Index