The Case against the Case against Empathy

"Empathy," writes Paul Bloom in The New Yorker, "is parochial, narrow-minded, and innumerate. We're often at our best when we're smart enough not to rely on it." We'd be better off were we to supplant our flawed empathetic sensibilities with reason (that most flawless of human capacities). . . .

A compelling case can be made that we need more empathy -- not less -- in everything from our personal relationships to our politics. We live in an age of unprecedented global connectivity and rapid change, and empathy can help us navigate that world smartly and morally as we collide with others.