Empathy-altruism

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Etymology The English word is derived from the Ancient Greek word ἐμπάθεια, "physical affection, passion, partiality" which comes from ἐν, "in, at" and πάθος, "passion" or "suffering". The term was adapted by Hermann Lotze and Robert Vischer to create the German word Einfühlung, which was translated by…

than the safety of others. Although some presume human nature to be inherently good, humans are inherently evil because they are ultimately selfish. Many argue that humans are inherently good. Altruism, or selflessness, is the core of goodness in humanity. Humans possess traits such as kindness, empathy, and compassion. These features support the argument that human nature is ultimately good. For example, in the novel Lord of the Flies, Golding writes “Piggy was … so full of pride in his…

plague is difficult, if not impossible. Literature utilizes textual strategies to describe gruesome details of a story so readers may compare the harsh experiences to our own placid difficulties. As a reader, imagery triggers both sympathy and empathy in me for fictional characters. Lawrence Hill, in The Book of Negroes, employs this tactic when describing the horrific conditions African slaves must experience: “Everywhere I turned, men were lying naked, chained to each other and to their…

Canada is an inherently diverse country. With Canada having recently received 25,000 Syrian refugees and is committed to welcoming over 300,000 more immigrants by the end of 2016. There are bound to be some social psychological challenges with the introduction of people of varying races, and ethnic backgrounds when brought together. In this report I will highlight some of the possible ways that social psychological theories and concepts can be applied to help all people living in Canada coexist…

Human Motivation for Good Deeds The human moral compass is a faulty and deceptive device prone to mistakes and unreliable bouts of avarice. The Puritans were a religious sect of 17th century New England who agreed with this philosophy of human corruptness. The cornerstone of Puritan ideology was predestination: the belief in a predetermined fate from God which inspired faith out of fear of Hell. On the contrary, an opposing school of thought was born from the 18th century intellectuals’ Age…

In Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray, the title character is forced to face a life full of cruelty and regret. As the novel progresses, Dorian goes from fearing death to embracing it. Dorian kills, watches the people he cares for die, and eventually comes face to face with is own death. All of these changes in Dorian’s life are due to his deteriorating soul and corrupt morals. In the Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde accompanies Dorian with death to advocate the importance of selflessness.…

palace to escape from his own plight, diminished. These self-important aspirations were replaced by the self-sacrificial yearning to free the oppressed of his kingdom. Truthfully, in overcoming his futile desires of self with his new found sense of altruism, charity becomes Edward’s strongest…

theoretical basis to altruism in relation to evolution and adapting to in order to survive. The theories and arguments used in evolutionary psychology help understand the complex relationship among groups, but also within group. Furthermore, it provides a clear goal that is being achieved (survival of the fittest), which gives a straightforward objective towards the theoretical connections and how they are connected to altruism. Based on the evolutionary psychology perspective, altruism is what…

Patriotism can be defined as the loyalty to one’s country and the love they have for it, but when your patriotism takes over, it can lead to violence and death as seen in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Realistically, patriotism does lead to death and violence because patriotism leads people to believe that people must be hurt or die for their country. For example, in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus explains, “It must be by his death, and for my part, I know no personal…

\ Charity benefits the giver more than the receiver. This saying is demonstrated in nearly every charitable act ever performed. Moreover, people all over the world perform acts of kindness for the self-fulfillment received by helping others. Charitable acts are selfless acts, but at the root, they are truly selfish. Firstly, I have participated in charity events, and truthfully I admit I partially did it for the feeling you receive when you help someone else. This feeling not only makes me…