
Being Me Being You
Adam Smith and Empathy
Samuel Fleischacker(Author)
University of Chicago Press
Published on 18. October 2019
Book
Hardback
248 pages
978-0-226-66175-9 (ISBN)
Description
Modern notions of empathy often celebrate its ability to bridge divides, to unite humankind. Yet how do we square this with the popular view that we can never truly comprehend the experience of being someone else? In this book, Samuel Fleischacker delves into the work of Adam Smith to draw out an understanding of empathy that respects both personal difference and shared humanity.
After laying out a range of meanings for the concept of empathy, Fleischacker proposes that what Smith called "sympathy" is very much what we today consider empathy. Smith's version has remarkable value, as his empathy calls for entering into the perspective of another--a uniquely human feat that connects people while still allowing them to define their own distinctive standpoints. After discussing Smith's views in relation to more recent empirical and philosophical studies, Fleischacker shows how turning back to Smith promises to enrich, clarify, and advance our current debates about the meaning and uses of empathy.
After laying out a range of meanings for the concept of empathy, Fleischacker proposes that what Smith called "sympathy" is very much what we today consider empathy. Smith's version has remarkable value, as his empathy calls for entering into the perspective of another--a uniquely human feat that connects people while still allowing them to define their own distinctive standpoints. After discussing Smith's views in relation to more recent empirical and philosophical studies, Fleischacker shows how turning back to Smith promises to enrich, clarify, and advance our current debates about the meaning and uses of empathy.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago
United States
Publishing group
The University of Chicago Press
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-226-66175-9 (9780226661759)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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E-Book
10/2019
1st Edition
University of Chicago Press
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€32.40
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Person
Samuel Fleischacker is professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author of many books, including On Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations": A Philosophical Companion and, most recently, The Good and the Good Book: Revelation as a Guide to Life.