Being Me Being You by Samuel Fleischacker
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.
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.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780226661896 |
| ISBN 10 | 022666189X |
| Title | Being Me Being You |
| Author | Samuel Fleischacker |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The University of Chicago Press |
| Year published | 2019-10-18 |
| Number of pages | 248 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |