The Self-Other Distinction in Empathy

Authors

  • Heidi Lene Maibom University of Cincinnati & the University of the Basque Country

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6093/1593-7178/9654

Abstract

An empathic emotion is supposed to be an emotion of the same type as the one the target experiences, but also be one in which there is a sharp self-other distinction. I show that these two desiderata are difficult to satisfy at the same time. Instead, what makes an emotion empathic is nothing intrinsic to that emotion. Instead, it is the person’s attitude towards what they are feeling that matters, I suggest. A person’s attitude towards other people – namely whether they care about their welfare – determines not only how likely they are to catch the emotions the other person is experiencing, but also how likely they are to empathize with them.

Keywords: Empathy, Empathic Person, Distress, Self-Other Distinction, Sympathy

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Published

2022-12-21

How to Cite

Maibom, H. L. (2022). The Self-Other Distinction in Empathy. Bollettino Filosofico, 37, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.6093/1593-7178/9654

Issue

Vol. 37 (2022): Rethinking Empathy. Between Ethics and Aesthetics

Section

Focus

License

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