Against Empathy：The Case for Rational Compassion

Acontroversialcalltoarms，AgainstEmpathyarguesthatthenaturalimpulsetosharethefeelingsofotherscanleadtoimmoralchoicesinbothpublicpolicyandinourintimaterelationshipswithfriendsandfamily.Mostpeople，includingmanypolicy-makers，activists，scientists，andphilosophers，haveencouragedustobemoreempathetic—tofeelthepainandpleasureofothers.YaleresearcherandauthorPaulBloomarguesthatthisisamistake.Farfromleadingustoimprovethelivesofothers，empathyisacapriciousandirrationalemotionthatappealstoournarrowprejudices.Itmuddlesourjudgmentandoftenleadstocruelty.Weareatourbestwhenwearesmartenoughnottorelyonit，anddrawuponamoredistancedcompassion.Basedongroundbreakingscientificfindings，AgainstEmpathymakesthecasethatsomeoftheworstdecisionsthatindividualsandnationsmake—fromwhotogivemoneyto，whentogotowar，howtorespondtoclimatechange，andwhotoputinprison—aretoooftenmotivatedbyhonest，yetmisplacedemotions.Withclearandwittyprose，Bloomdemonstrateshowempathydistortsourjudgmentineveryaspectofourlives，fromphilanthropyandcharitytothejusticesystem;fromcultureandeducationtoforeignpolicyandwar.Withoutempathy，Bloominsists，ourdecisionswouldbeclearer，fairer，andultimatelymoremoral.Boundtobecontroversial，AgainstEmpathyshowsusthat，whenitcomestomajorpolicydecisionsandthechoiceswemakeinoureverydaylives，limitingourempatheticemotionsisoftenthemostcompassionatechoicewecanmake.