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What is empathy, and can empathy be taught?
1Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, University of Miami, FL 33146.
Physical Therapy
|November 1, 1990
Summary
Empathy is a complex human experience that cannot be directly taught or forced. While it can be facilitated, true empathy arises organically, suggesting a focus on cultivating related attitudes in clinicians.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Psychology
- Phenomenology
Background:
- Empathy is frequently used but poorly understood.
- It is often confused with similar concepts like sympathy and pity.
- Distinguishing empathy from related terms is crucial for clarity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate empathy from related concepts.
- To argue that the act of empathizing cannot be taught.
- To explore the nature of empathy based on phenomenological insights.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of empathy and related terms.
- Application of Edith Stein's phenomenological perspective on empathy.
- Discussion of factors that facilitate or block empathy.
Main Results:
- Empathy is distinct from sympathy, pity, identification, and self-transposal.
- Empathy is an indirectly given, "nonprimordial" experience.
- The spontaneous nature of empathy makes it unteachable.
Conclusions:
- Empathy cannot be directly taught or forced; it occurs organically.
- Facilitating empathy involves promoting self-awareness, nonjudgmental regard, listening skills, and confidence.
- These cultivated attitudes are key for clinicians to demonstrate empathic willingness.