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Evenspeak Series: The Empathy Wars

Posted by University of King's College Chapel on January 18, 2017 in General Announcements

Evenspeak Series: The Empathy Wars

In the eighteenth century, Adam Smith argued that the basis of morality was our capacity to “change places in our imagination with the sufferer.” But recent philosophers have warned us that empathy is a dangerous emotional force that draws us towards identifying with the suffering of particular individuals while we blithely ignore the plight of distant strangers or people outside our ‘tribe'. Reason and objective judgement about how to do the most good for the most people, not a self-focused empathy, must be our primary moral guide. Our speakers will address us for 15 minutes following the postlude at Evensong.

The series begins Wednesday, January 18th, with an address given by Dr. Francoise Baylis, Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy and Professor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University.

Below is a full list of “Evenspeakers” this term:
18 January: Dr. Francoise Baylis
25 January: Kirsten Pinto Gfroerer
1 February: The Rev'd Justin Fletcher
8 February: Kieva Diamond
15 February: The Rev’d Chris Kelly

Wednesdays, 5pm following Evensong at the University of King's College Chapel