Empathy, the Other and Engaged Acts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6093/1593-7178/9643Abstract
In this paper we consider the correlation and interdependence between empathy and engaged acts, i.e., acts undertaken in interacting with the other or others, through which the first-person singular shifts to the first-person plural. We argue that engaged acts are a constitutive element of empathy. To support our thesis, we address some issues with the common notion of empathy, specifically, those related to the first-person and third-person accounts. Further, we discuss their alternatives in phenomenology and interaction theories. In particular, we address two important aspects of empathy: that of the second person perspective, and the issue of the Self/Other differentiation. In the final part of the paper, we portray the phenomenological structure of engaged acts.
Keywords: Empathy, Engaged Acts, Engagement, Second-Person Perspective, Self/Other Differentiation