The Annenberg Public Policy Center is pleased to present a lecture by

Dr. Jean Decety

Irving B. Harris Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry

University of Chicago

Director of the Child Neurosuite:

www.childneurosuite.org

Head of the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab:

www.scnl.org

The best and the worst: Empathy and its contribution to morality

 

Abstract:  Morality and empathy are fundamental components of human cultures and interpersonal lives. Too often in both popular conceptions and academia, moral cognition and empathy are used interchangeably, and the latter is considered as a foundation for the former.  I will argue that, while there is a relationship between empathy and moral decision-making, the two concepts should not be equated.  Moreover, it is critical to distinguish between the sub-components of empathy (empathic arousal, empathic concern and perspective taking), as each uniquely influences moral cognition and predicts differential outcomes in moral behavior.  The wealth of findings from social neuroscience illustrates a complex and equivocal relationship between morality and empathy; at times empathy guides moral judgment, yet at times empathy can interfere with it.

Seating is limited.  Click here to RSVP