{"id":1232,"date":"2018-03-24T18:07:05","date_gmt":"2018-03-24T18:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/?p=1232"},"modified":"2018-05-25T10:52:29","modified_gmt":"2018-05-25T10:52:29","slug":"is-empathy-a-force-of-evil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aurelis.org\/blog\/empathy-compassion\/is-empathy-a-force-of-evil","title":{"rendered":"Is Empathy a Force of Evil?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of course not. Still, some describe it this way. The main \u2013 but not all \u2013 disagreement is one of terminology.<\/h3>\n

Terms matter. Concepts are important.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

See \u2018Landscape of Empathy<\/a>\u2019. In that drawing, I\u2019ve distinguished some related concepts. Others may put other terms to these concepts.<\/p>\n

Empathy devoid of rationality<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

is impossible in my conceptualization, since rationality is part of the definition of empathy. For argument\u2019s sake, I will in the remainder of this text talk about E-W-R (Empathy without Rationality).<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, E-W-R sometimes provokes a backlash to empathy.<\/p>\n

Out of some kind of \u2018idealism\u2019, E-W-R can lead to measures that don\u2019t work out as planned, which may lead others to be suspicious of empathy as such, rejecting empathy as something for the \u2018softheaded\u2019, \u2018bleeding hearts\u2019. That\u2019s a pity.<\/p>\n

Empathy being potentially a powerful driving force, E-W-R is also dangerous, due to<\/p>\n

the spotlight nature of E-W-R.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s easier to \u2018feel\u2019 empathy for people close by than for people far-off, for friends than for non-friends. At the bright side, this facilitates one-on-one relationships, and \u2018feeling special\u2019 in the eyes of loved one(s), such as parent-child, very close family.<\/p>\n

At the other side, it leaves the rest out of the spotlight. Empathy is \u2018innumerate\u2019: caught up in the suffering of individuals, one can become myopic to that of many. For instance, numerous political debates are thus not about whether or not we should empathize, but mainly about whom<\/em> we should empathize with, such as: foreign refugees or \u2018own people\u2019.<\/p>\n

One step further, it may create an in-group feeling versus<\/em> \u2018the others\u2019 or even \u2018the enemy\u2019. Put this in a concoction without rationality and you have a major potential energy source for discrimination, war etc. This is subtle: what to do with a \u2018real enemy\u2019\u2026 and what with that real enemy\u2019s enemy? Should one in such matters decide with empathy?<\/p>\n

An E-W-<\/strong>R person is vulnerable to manipulation.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A picture of \u2018enemy\u2019 can malevolently be stoked up even more through empathy with the enemy\u2019s victims, especially if these are from the empathizer\u2019s in-group.<\/p>\n

Manipulation can also make \u2018being an enemy\u2019 reason enough for treating him badly. I strongly disagree. What should cause action is never his \u2018being an enemy\u2019 but his \u2018being a threat\u2019.<\/p>\n

Rationality shows us how we need to let our empathy flow in diverse ways as appropriate to circumstances.<\/p>\n

E AND <\/strong>R: nature gave us both instruments<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Actually, to separate them is already quite unnatural: brain-wise we see more overlap than distinction (to say it mildly) between more \u2018emotional\u2019 and more \u2018cognitive\u2019 regions. Scientists used to think these were quite strictly divided. Not so. That doesn\u2019t mean we cannot be rational, but that we are rational with<\/em> our emotional life engrained. If you think about it: why should nature have done otherwise? It\u2019s so straightforward.<\/p>\n

Plea<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This text is of course a plea for empathy PLUS rationality.<\/p>\n

I think that when talking about the same thing, almost everyone can agree that empathy<\/em> is one of humanity\u2019s greatest assets.<\/p>\n

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Of course not. Still, some describe it this way. The main \u2013 but not all \u2013 disagreement is one of terminology. Terms matter. Concepts are important. See \u2018Landscape of Empathy\u2019. In that drawing, I\u2019ve distinguished some related concepts. Others may put other terms to these concepts. Empathy devoid of rationality is impossible in my conceptualization, Read the full article…<\/a><\/p>\n

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