I will follow this convention here, but we should keep in mind that the two are distinct-they emerge from different brain processes you can have a lot of one and a little of the other-and that most of the discussion of the moral implications of empathy focuses on its emotional side. This is sometimes called “cognitive,” as opposed to “emotional,” empathy. Some researchers also use the term to encompass the more coldblooded process of assessing what other people are thinking, their motivations, their plans, what they believe. To empathize with someone is to put yourself in her shoes, to feel her pain. When I read about what happened in the West Bank village of Duma on July 31, 2015, I.
The word “empathy” is used in many ways, but here I am adopting its most common meaning, which corresponds to what eighteenth-century philosophers such as Adam Smith called “sympathy.” It refers to the process of experiencing the world as others do, or at least as you think they do. AGAINST EMPATHY The Case for Rational Compassion By Paul Bloom 285 pp. My claim is actually the opposite: if you want to be good and do good, empathy is a poor guide. And so I’ve learned to clarify, to explain that I am not against morality, compassion, kindness, love, being a good neighbor, doing the right thing, and making the world a better place. This reaction surprised me at first, but I’ve come to realize that taking a position against empathy is like announcing that you hate kittens-a statement so outlandish it can only be a joke. People tend to smile and nod, and then I add, “I’m against it.” This usually gets an uncomfortable laugh. When asked what I am working on, I often say I am writing a book about empathy. Paul Bloom discusses the difference between cognitive and emotional empathy, and why he’s against using empathy as a guide for being in the world.
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