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Review
. 2017 Jan;21(1):24-31.
doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.11.004. Epub 2016 Dec 2.

Empathy and Its Discontents

Paul Bloom  1
Affiliations
Review

Empathy and Its Discontents

Paul Bloom. Trends Cogn Sci. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

What role does the experience of feeling what you think others are feeling - often known as 'empathy' - have in moral deliberation and moral action? Empathy has many fans and there is abundant evidence that it can motivate prosocial behavior. However, empathy is narrow in its focus, rendering it innumerate and subject to bias. It can motivate cruelty and aggression and lead to burnout and exhaustion. Compassion is distinct from empathy in its neural instantiation and its behavioral consequences and is a better prod to moral action, particularly in the modern world we live in.

Keywords: compassion; empathy; morality.

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Comment in

  • Empathy, Schmempathy: Response to Zaki.
    Bloom P. Bloom P. Trends Cogn Sci. 2017 Feb;21(2):60-61. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.12.003. Epub 2016 Dec 24. Trends Cogn Sci. 2017. PMID: 28025006 No abstract available.
  • Moving beyond Stereotypes of Empathy.
    Zaki J. Zaki J. Trends Cogn Sci. 2017 Feb;21(2):59-60. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.12.004. Epub 2016 Dec 29. Trends Cogn Sci. 2017. PMID: 28040334 No abstract available.
  • Commentary: Empathy and its discontents.
    Västfjäll D, Erlandsson A, Slovic P, Tinghög G. Västfjäll D, et al. Front Psychol. 2017 Apr 18;8:542. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00542. eCollection 2017. Front Psychol. 2017. PMID: 28458644 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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