Exploring the Nuances of Empathy and Theory of Mind

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The chapter delves into a discussion about the concepts of theory of mind and empathy, exploring their nuances and differences. The speakers debate whether empathy and theory of mind are synonymous and discuss the complexities of each concept. The conversation also touches on the evolution of language, the role of precision, and how language can lose meaning over time.

In this 229th in a series of live discussions with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (both PhDs in Biology), we talk about the state of the world through an evolutionary lens.

In this week’s episode, we discuss empathy, sympathy, and theory of mind; corporate personhood, psychopathic behavior, and the limitations of humans; kin selection, and reciprocity, both direct and indirect. Then: utopias, and why they fail, from the hero of Er in Plato’s Republic to the Singularity. And we discuss the human need for story, which exists next to, and perhaps deeper than, our need for analysis and logic.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Lahti and Weinstein 2005. The better angels of our nature: Group stability and the evolution of moral tension. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26(1): 47-63: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=c5669ae3f2b5ba89967ab466b1095ab9c6d99c8c

DarkHorse Evolutionary Lens #128: Wouldn’t Put It Past ‘Em: https://rumble.com/v4zrlvl-the-228th-evolutionary-lens-with-bret-weinstein-and-heather-heying.html

Angus Fletcher, professor of story science, FAQs: https://www.angusfletcher.co/faqs