"If (as was stated in the previous column) the root of
all evil is the failure to consider the existence of the other; and the
root of all good is the recognition of the existence of the other, the
all-purpose antidote would be the attribute of empathy – right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. A recent paper (‘Is Empathy
Necessary for Morality?’ by Jesse Prinz – available in full-text pdf
online) examines the link between feeling empathy (the ability to feel
what others are feeling), and actually taking action to help others."
