The Moral Dimensions of Empathy: Limits and Applications in Ethical Theory and Practice

219 Pages·2012·3.408 MB·English

by  Julinna C. Oxley

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The Moral Dimensions of Empathy
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The Moral Dimensions of
Empathy
Limits and Applications in Ethical Theory
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and Practice 2-0
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Julinna C. Oxley ct -
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Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Coastal Carolina University, USA on
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© Julinna C. Oxley 2011
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. 02
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1
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication 1-
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may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. 0
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The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work ct -
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in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. nn
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First published 2011 by e
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PALGRAVE MACMILLAN gra
al
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, P
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, y -
Hampshire RG21 6XS. ersit
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Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, Uni
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. olic
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Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies at
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and has companies and representatives throughout the world. n
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Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, ali
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries ustr
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ISBN 978-0-230-27656-7 hardback d to
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This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully s
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managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing ce
processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the m - li
country of origin. o
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ect.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data co
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Oxley, Julinna C. a
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The moral dimension of empathy : limits and applications in ethical al
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theory and practice/ Julinna C. Oxley. w.
p. cm. ww
Includes index. m
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IS1B.NE 9m7p8a-t0h-y2.302-.2E7t6h5ic6s-.7 I(.aTlki.t lpea.per) erial fr
BJ1475.O95 2011 mat
177′.7–dc23 2011021115 ht
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20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne
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In memory of Adam “Dean” Lutz y -
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Contents
Acknowledgments x
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Part I Why Empathy? 1 1-1
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1 The Empathy-Morality Connection 3 ct -
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1.1 Empathy and ethics 4 nn
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1.2 Defining empathy 7 eC
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1.3 Moral dimensions of empathy 11 gra
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2 What is Empathy? 15 y -
2.1 Empathy as emotional contagion 16 ersit
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2.2 Empathy as imaginative perspective-taking 18 ni
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2.2.2 Self-focused imagination 19 olic
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2.2.3 Other-focused imagination 21 at
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2.2.4 Dual-perspective imagination (combination 22 an
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mode) str
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2.3 From imaginative perspective-taking to empathy 23 A
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2.4 A functional account of empathy 28 d t
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2.5 Conclusion 32 en
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Part II The Moral Dimensions of Empathy 33 o
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3 The Epistemic Functions of Empathy 35 nn
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3.1 Illustration of the epistemic and normative 37 ec
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dimensions of empathy gr
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3.2 Modes of empathic arousal 38 w.p
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3.3 Empathy’s epistemic functions 41 w
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3.3.1 First function: Gathering information about 42 o
the other person erial fr
3.3.2 Second function: Understanding others 46 at
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3.4 Conditions on empathy’s epistemic function 48 ht
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3.5 Normative and epistemic functions limit each other 52 pyri
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3.6 The personal nature of empathetic knowledge 55 C
3.7 Conclusion 57
4 Empathy, Altruism and Normative Ethics 59
4.1 Empirical research on the consequences of empathy 60
4.2 Interpretation of the empirical data 63
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viii Contents
4.3 Problems with using this research in normative ethics 66
4.4 Empathy and moral obligation 69
4.5 Conclusion 73
Part III Empathy and Ethical Theory 75
5 Empathy and Moral Deliberation 77 2
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5.1 The salience effect, empathetic deliberation, and 78 1
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moral deliberation 0
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5.2 Empathetic moral deliberation in contemporary 80 ct -
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normative ethics n
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5.3 Empathetic moral deliberation in Kant’s impartialist 84 e
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ethics gr
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5.4 Empathetic bias and empathetic deliberation 87 y -
5.5 Empathetic deliberation is not just hypothetical 90 sit
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deliberation niv
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5.6 Conclusion 95 c
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6 Empathy, Contractual Ethics, and Justification 98 Cat
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6.1 Contract theories and public justification 99 a
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6.2 The elements of social contract theory 101 str
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6.3 The nature of contractual deliberation 105 o A
6.4 Kinds of empathetic deliberation modeled in 109 ed t
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social contracts e
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6.4.1 Rawls’ theory of justice 110 m - li
6.4.2 Gauthier’s contractarian ethics 113 co
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6.4.3 Harsanyi’s equiprobability model 115 ne
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6.5 Empathetic deliberation, public justification and 117 co
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interpersonal justification gra
6.6 Empathy and justificatory reasons 122 pal
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6.7 Conclusion 126 w
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Part IV Practical Implications 129 al fr
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7 Empathy and Moral Education 131 m
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7.1 Teachable types of empathy 132 yrig
7.1.1 Others-focused empathy 132 op
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7.1.2 Self-focused empathy 134
7.1.4 Non-perspective-taking empathy 136
7.1.5 Avoiding passive empathy 136
7.2 How empathy is taught 137
7.2.1 Induction or inductive discipline 138
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Contents ix
7.2.2 Rational, straightforward education 139
7.2.3 Modeling empathy 141
7.3 The contexts for teaching empathy 143
7.3.1 Empathy in the context of care and concern 143
7.3.2 Empathy in the context of the compassionate 144
virtues
7.3.3 Empathy in the context of diversity and 145 02
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7.3.4 Empathy in the context of socialization and 145 20
behavior modification ect -
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7.4 Developing the capacity for empathy 146 on
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7.4.1 Factors contributing to empathy development 147 ve
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7.4.2 Caveats to empathy development 147 algr
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7.4.3 Failures of empathy 148 y -
7.5 Conclusion 149 ersit
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8 Conclusion: Implications for Feminist Ethics 151 c U
8.1 Significance 151 holi
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8.2 Practical implications: Empathy and gender 153 C
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8.3 Empathy and feminist ethics 156 ali
8.4 Empathy and virtue 158 ustr
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Notes 162 d t
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Bibliography 192 ce
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Index 202 o
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