

Ep. 366: Edith Stein on Empathy (Part Two)
May 12, 2025
The discussion dives into Edith Stein's insights on empathy, contrasting direct and indirect experiences. Philosophical implications and moral significance are highlighted, especially regarding how we understand ourselves and others. The speakers explore empathy's evolutionary roots and its existence across species, raising questions about human exceptionalism. Memory's role in empathy is also examined, along with the ethical complexities of empathizing with individuals who commit harmful acts. Insightful debates on fellow feeling vs. emotional contagion further enrich the conversation.
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Primordial vs. Non-Primordial Experience
- Edith Stein distinguishes between primordial and non-primordial experiences to explain empathy phenomenologically.
- Primordial experience is the direct, present experience one has of their own mental life or objects, while empathy involves non-primordial experience of another's mental life.
Empathy's Recursive Structure
- Empathy is a primordial act of present experience but has non-primordial content.
- This recursive structure allows one to enter and then step back from another's experience, gaining richer understanding.
Empathy Beyond Analogy or Imitation
- Empathy does not rely on association, imitation, or analogy to others' experiences.
- One can empathize with experiences never personally had without reducing empathy to projecting one's own feelings.