Empathy from a “4E cognition” perspective: the problem of lynching

Abstract

Discussions about intersubjectivity can be traced back to philosophical discussions of the 19th century. In recent years, disciplines such as neuroscience, social cognition, and phenomenology have discussed “empathy” in terms of the ability for human connection. More recently, researchers are discussing the definition of empathy, especially the relationship between empathy and the motivation to seek another’s well-being. In this discussion, psychological theories conceived empathy as a factor of prosocial behavior. Other researchers such as Bloom consider empathy as an unfit moral guide, while yet others attempt to remove the caring condition from the equation of empathy. In this article, we aim to contribute to the discussion on empathy discussions by analyzing lynching, a form of collective violence sometimes seen in the South American context. We suggest that lynching, as well as other phenomena of collective violence, presents specific challenges for the conceptualization of empathy, and that those challenges could be tackled from the perspective of “4E cognition.”