The Perils of Empathy

Holocaust Narratives, Cognitive Studies and the Politics of Sentiment

Bibliographic Data

ID12904369
AuthorsN Ann Rider (corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume19
Issue3
Pages43-72
Publication date2013-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHolocaust Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1750-4902 • E-ISSN: 2048-4887
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17504902.2013.11087384
OpenAlexW1899535587
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited18

Cognitive science research offers new insights into the structures of empathy, and scholars are beginning to apply that research to reader reception of literature. Teachers of Holocaust Studies will find that these insights will challenge pedagogical strategies that assume empathy always leads to the development of social virtue in students. Drawing on research from cognitive studies, this essay suggests that Holocaust narratives that disrupt empathic response are more likely to produce a particular form of empathy, cognitive empathy. This form of empathy in particular can facilitate critical social understanding of the Holocaust that links the past to civic consciousness and activity in the present. Through the examination of three texts, Elie Wiesel’s Night, Imre Kertész’s Fatelessness and Ruth Klüger’s Still Alive, the author demonstrates how and what kinds of empathy are potentially produced in Holocaust literature and suggests textual typologies to guide instruction

Art · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Cognitive science · Consciousness · Empathy · Epistemology · Literature · Narrative · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · The Holocaust · Educational Philosophies and Pedagogies · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Narrative Theory and Analysis · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub