[lit-ideas] Re: More on the Banality of Evil
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:21:47 -0700
Walter asks
Independently of the textual matter, how is the difference in English between
"imagining the situation of an other" and "empathizing with an other" marked?
Is there any difference at all?
Just a suggestion. To imagine the situation of another (in a longer
response, the meaning of 'situation' would want clarifying) might
consist in, e.g. 'imagining' that someone else was in pain. Yet one
might do this without empathizing with them in the slightest. 'To
imagine him in pain gives me great satisfaction.'
To understand, to the extent that this is possible, 'how it is' with
another carries no suggestion that one somehow ingests the emotions and
other mental states of that other along with the understanding.
I'm not sure why this is especially a 'difference in English.' The
distinction is marked in English but that doesn't make it a difference
in English.
Robert Paul
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
