The presence of others
Philosophical Studies 132 (2):161-190 (2007)
| Abstract | Hybrid accounts of folk psychology maintain that we sometimes theorize and sometimes simulate in order to understand others. An important question is why this is the case. In this paper, I present a view according to which simulation, but not theory, plays a central role in empathy. In contrast to others taking a similar approach to simulation, I do not focus on empathy’s cognitive aspect, but stress its affective-motivational one. Simulating others’ emotions usually engages our motivations altruistically. By vicariously feeling what others are feeling, we directly come to be motivated by their projects and concerns. Simulation contrasts with more theoretical approaches to psychological attribution that help us understand and explan others, but that do not move us altruistically. This helps us see why we would posit two different folk psychological approaches instead of merely one | |||||||||
| Keywords | SIMULATION EMPATHY EMOTION FUNCTIONALISM | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,631 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesDan Zahavi (2012). Basic Empathy and Complex Empathy. Emotion Review 4 (1):81-82.
Theodore Bach (2011). Structure-Mapping: Directions From Simulation to Theory. Philosophical Psychology 24 (1):23-51.
Stephen Biggs (2007). The Phenomenal Mindreader: A Case for Phenomenal Simulation. Philosophical Psychology 20 (1):29-42.
David Ohreen (2008). Empathy, Folk Psychology, and Explaining Behaviour. [REVIEW] Res Cogitans - Journal of Philosophy 5 (1):39-56.
M. Lebar (2001). Simulation, Theory, and Emotion. Philosophical Psychology 14 (4):423 – 434.
Frederick R. Adams (2001). Empathy, Neural Imaging and the Theory Versus Simulation Debate. Mind and Language 16 (4):368-392.
Karsten R. Stueber (2012). Varieties of Empathy, Neuroscience and the Narrative Challenge to the Contemporary Theory of Mind Debate. Emotion Revies 4 (1):55-63.
Karsten R. Stueber (2012). Varieties of Empathy, Neuroscience and the Narrative Challenge to the Contemporary Theory of Mind Debate. Emotion Revies 4 (1):55-63.
Allison Barnes & Paul R. Thagard (1997). Empathy and Analogy. Dialogue 36 (4):705-720.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads38 ( #30,802 of 548,970 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,511 of 548,970 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
