Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.27 (613 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1441730052 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 474 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-08-30 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Far from leading us to improve the lives of others, empathy is a capricious and irrational emotion that appeals to our narrow prejudices. Without empathy, Bloom insists, our decisions would be clearer, fairer, and ultimately more moral.Bound to be controversial, Against Empathy shows us that, when it comes to major policy decisions and the choices we make in our everyday lives, limiting our empathetic emotions is often the most compassionate choice we can make.. We are at our best when we are smart enough not to rely on it, and draw upon a more distanced compassion.Based on groundbreaking scientific findings, Against Empathy makes the case that some of the worst decisions that individuals and nations make -- from who to give money to, when to go to war, how to respond to climate change, and who to put in prison -- are too often motivated by honest, yet misplaced, emotions. With clear and witty prose, Bloom demonstrates how empathy distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives, from philanthropy and charity to the justice system; from culture and education to foreign policy and war. It muddles our judgment and often leads to cruelty. Read by Karen CassA controversial call to arms, Against Empathy argues that the natural impulse to share the feelings of others can lead to immoral choices i
Brilliant, provocative, and wildly entertaining Amazon Customer When I picked up this book, I was skeptical. Bloom's counterintuitive claim is that empathy - putting oneself in the shoes of another and feeling what they feel - causes us to make bad moral decisions. How on earth could empathy be a bad thing? But with each chapter, Bloom lays out the prosecution’s case, and by the end, empathy is soundly convicted - it is not useful in helping make the world a better place. Bloom’s argument in a nutshell - empathy. Donny Rice said It makes sense! And it's actually pretty entertaining too.. Being someone deeply interested in Brene Brown's works (e.g. "Daring Greatly") on living a wholehearted life and how empathy plays a key role in this, I thought it would be a worthwhile intellectual challenge to read something that goes against that thought. And it was.What I discovered, though, is that the views are totally reconcilable. Here, Paul Bloom does a fascinating (and frequently entertaining) job at exploring how empathy should be avoided in moral de. Buy this book, or the puppy gets it! "I used to believe this as well. But now I don't. Empathy has its merits. It can be a great source of pleasure, involved in art and fiction and sports, and it can be a valuable aspect of intimate relationships. And it can sometimes spark us to do good. But on the whole, it's a poor moral guide. It grounds foolish judgments and often motivates indifference and cruelty. It can lead to irrational and unfair political decisions, it can corrode certain important rel
No one…? Paul Bloom freely admits that taking a stance against empathy is a position that most people will shun. Careful to draw the line between compassion and empathy, Bloom can sometimes sound like he's retreading the same argument's path, but his tongue-in-cheek asides keep the book entertaining and drew me to the end long after I'd come to agree with his premise. --Adrian Liang, The Book Review. An Best Book of December 2016: Raise your hand if you're against empathy. For those who want to understand better how the heart and head battle