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On the Problem of the Idealization of Empathy and Ethics
Malmö University, Faculty of Health and Society (HS), Department of Social Work (SA).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1211-8829
California State University, East Bay.
2023 (English)In: Empathy and Ethics / [ed] Englander, Magnus; Ferrarello, Susi, Rowman & Littlefield , 2023, p. 259-284Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

In this chapter, we seek to disclose how empathy and ethics have been constructed to idealized forms through the process of naturalization and relativization in science and professional practice. The chapter begins with a historical investigation of how the natural attitude continues into Galileo’s technologization of nature. Following the basic structure of the natural attitude, we can also see how it shapes our interpretation of empathy. The authors disclose a paradox that seems to be unacceptable by the sciences related to modern psychology. This has resulted in the scientific community explaining empathy by sophisticated models (e.g., simulation, mirror neurons, etc.), in which the trace of the natural attitude continues, such as can be seen in the naturalization of empathy in the contemporary cognitive neurosciences. This idealization of empathy is then carried over from the sciences to professional practice resulting in a technological approach toward empathy. As a contrast, we argue for a return to our fundamental relation to others as interpersonal understanding and a reflection of empathy that would open for the development of professional ethics as a reflective human activity, instead of a set of guidelines and principles that are, more often than not, sophisticated, bureaucratic processes thought to prevent unethical action and issues of liability. Only reflection of our being with others will lead us to self-responsibility.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Rowman & Littlefield , 2023. p. 259-284
Keywords [en]
Empathy, Idealization, Intentionality, Self-responsibility
National Category
Philosophy
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-56295DOI: 10.5040/9798881814144.ch-12Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105021580840ISBN: 978-1-5381-5410-6 (print)ISBN: 978-1-5381-5411-3 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-56295DiVA, id: diva2:1714516
Available from: 2022-11-29 Created: 2022-11-29 Last updated: 2025-11-27Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
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Language
  • de-DE
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  • nn-NB
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More languages
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  • html
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  • asciidoc
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