#779
Mentioned in 33 episodes

Against Empathy

The Case for Rational Compassion
Book •
In 'Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion,' Paul Bloom challenges the conventional wisdom that empathy is a moral guide.

He argues that empathy, defined as feeling what others feel, is a capricious and irrational emotion that can lead to poor decision-making and even cruelty.

Bloom contends that empathy distorts our judgment in various aspects of life, from philanthropy and justice to medical care and education.

He advocates for a more distanced compassion based on rational, deliberative reasoning and a utilitarian approach to moral decisions.

The book is grounded in scientific findings and explores the limitations and biases of empathy, suggesting that clearer, fairer, and more moral decisions can be made without relying on it.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 33 episodes

Mentioned by
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Sam Harris
when discussing the limitations of empathy as a guide for ethical behavior.
633 snips
#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
Mentioned by
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Mark Manson
and
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Drew
Burney in their discussion about empathy and its potential downsides.
196 snips
No Regrets, The Case Against Empathy, and Is AI Coming for Us All?
Mentioned by
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Tyler Cowen
as one of
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Paul Bloom
's books, exploring the science of pleasure, morality of empathy, and more.
128 snips
Paul Bloom on the Psychology of Children, and the Morality of Empathy and Disgust
Mentioned by Stephen Dubner as a book that discusses the downsides of empathy.
104 snips
44. Is Empathy in Fact Immoral?
Mentioned by
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Eric Kaufmann
, referencing his argument that empathy is always about who you're empathetic towards.
67 snips
The Sacred Myths of Liberalism - Eric Kaufmann
Mentioned by
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Rutger Bregman
, highlighting its argument about the limitations of empathy.
67 snips
MORAL AMBITION: Are You Wasting Your Talent?
Mentioned by
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Mike Maughan
, referencing his book "Against Empathy."
61 snips
200. What’s the Difference Between Empathy and Sympathy?
Mentioned by
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Joe Rigney
, quoting Bloom's view that empathy is often associated with war.
60 snips
The Sin of Empathy — A Conversation with Joe Rigney
Mentioned by the podcast host as the author of a book with a provocative title, which is discussed in the episode.
57 snips
Making Sense of Foundations of Morality | Episode 3 of The Essential Sam Harris
Mentioned by
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Jamil Zaki
as a book he loves, despite disagreeing with it.
51 snips
Hope for Cynics: How to Cultivate Kindness w/ Dr. Jamil Zaki
Mentioned by
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Sean Carroll
in discussion of his book 'Against Empathy', contrasting emotional and rational decision-making.
49 snips
134 | Robert Sapolsky on Why We Behave the Way We Do
Mentioned by
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Jameson Olsen
when discussing the history of the meaning behind the word empathy.
49 snips
The Hound of the Baskervilles \\ Life Is Probabilities
Mentioned by
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Kim Mills
as
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Paul Bloom
's previous book.
46 snips
Encore -- Why we choose to suffer, with Paul Bloom, PhD
Mentioned by Coleman Hughes when introducing the topic of
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Gad Saad
's book 'Suicidal Empathy', pointing out that Paul Bloom argues that empathy leads to great harm.
34 snips
When Empathy Goes Too Far with Dr. Gad Saad
Mentioned by
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Anders Indset
as a book about rational compassion that argues empathy is a computable hard skill.
25 snips
EP 306 Anders Indset on The Singularity Paradox
Mentioned by
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Allie Beth Stuckey
as the author of a book who's study found that the more empathy is emphasized in schools, the meaner kids are to the out group.
23 snips
Ep 1222 | Zachary Levi on Leaving LA, Childhood Trauma & Church Problems
Mentioned by
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Corey Washington
while discussing highly effective people and their traits.
17 snips
Kaja Perina on the Dark Triad: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy – #36
Mentioned by
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Owen Fitzpatrick
regarding oxytocin's effect on creating divides.
16 snips
How to Craft Messages People Remember and Repeat
Mentioned by
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Rutger Bregman
while discussing empathy and moral progress.
15 snips
RUTGER BREGMAN: the pursuit of moral ambition
Mentioned by
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Sam Harris
as a previous book exploring the negative aspects of empathy.
12 snips
#266 — The Limits of Pleasure

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