Summary of Paul Bloom's Against Empathy

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

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#1 Empathy is the act of coming to experience the world as someone else does. It is a common definition, but it is also used for everything from yawning contagion in dogs to patient-centered attitudes in human medicine.

#2 Empathy is the capacity to understand what another person is going through, and it can be developed and extended through the imagination. It can be a choice to empathize with others, and it can be a force for good.

#3 Empathy is discussed in response to certain public events, and it is seen as the cure for every specific problem. It is seen as the diagnosis and solution to the lack of empathy in our society.

#4 Empathy is often thought of as the magic bullet of morality, but it is actually just one of many possible motivations for good action. We can disapprove of people who shoplift or cheat on their taxes, even if there is no specific person who appreciably suffers because of their actions.

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Rafbók: 29 mars 2022