I think empathy is misunderstood. Especially this notion that having empathy is a proxy for being a good person.
Consider the sadist. You cannot enjoy someone’s suffering if you can’t recognize it. Being manipulative would also be difficult without a grasp of someone’s inner life. A confidence artist must be an empath. A “cold read” psychic must be uniquely empathetic.
In 1921 Hitler gave a speech where he promised to put Jewish people into camps to see “how they like it”. (he was upset about WWI German POWs and blamed Jewish people for their long internment). So Hitler did recognize Jewish people as human and capable of suffering; that was the point.
Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings and emotions of another person.
This is what makes the sadist argument so interesting, if still a red herring. They do share the feelings, and it gets them off! The issue with this line of reasoning is that level of sadism is a mental health problem and not something people should strive for or encourage; so in the end it’s not much of an argument against empathy.
Also, I don’t know that I agree that Hitler “did recognize Jewish people as human and capable of suffering.” I don’t think he cared either way. Their suffering & extermination was politically useful for him. I think that’s a pretty good argument against any empathic feelings he may or may not have held.
I think empathy is misunderstood. Especially this notion that having empathy is a proxy for being a good person.
Consider the sadist. You cannot enjoy someone’s suffering if you can’t recognize it. Being manipulative would also be difficult without a grasp of someone’s inner life. A confidence artist must be an empath. A “cold read” psychic must be uniquely empathetic.
In 1921 Hitler gave a speech where he promised to put Jewish people into camps to see “how they like it”. (he was upset about WWI German POWs and blamed Jewish people for their long internment). So Hitler did recognize Jewish people as human and capable of suffering; that was the point.
This is what makes the sadist argument so interesting, if still a red herring. They do share the feelings, and it gets them off! The issue with this line of reasoning is that level of sadism is a mental health problem and not something people should strive for or encourage; so in the end it’s not much of an argument against empathy.
Also, I don’t know that I agree that Hitler “did recognize Jewish people as human and capable of suffering.” I don’t think he cared either way. Their suffering & extermination was politically useful for him. I think that’s a pretty good argument against any empathic feelings he may or may not have held.