{"product_id":"against-empathy-the-case-for-rational-compassion-9780062339348","title":"Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Post \u003c\/em\u003eBest Book of 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe often think of our capacity to experience the suffering of others as the ultimate source of goodness. Many of our wisest policy-makers, activists, scientists, and philosophers agree that the only problem with empathy is that we don't have enough of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNothing could be farther from the truth, argues Yale researcher Paul Bloom. In AGAINST EMPATHY, Bloom reveals empathy to be one of the leading motivators of inequality and immorality in society. Far from helping us to improve the lives of others, empathy is a capricious and irrational emotion that appeals to our narrow prejudices. It muddles our judgment and, ironically, often leads to cruelty. We are at our best when we are smart enough not to rely on it, but to draw instead upon a more distanced compassion. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBasing his argument on groundbreaking scientific findings, Bloom makes the case that some of the worst decisions made by individuals and nations--who to give money to, when to go to war, how to respond to climate change, and who to imprison--are too often motivated by honest, yet misplaced, emotions. With precision and wit, he demonstrates how empathy distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives, from philanthropy and charity to the justice system; from medical care and education to parenting and marriage. Without empathy, Bloom insists, our decisions would be clearer, fairer, and--yes--ultimately more moral.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrilliantly argued, urgent and humane, \u003cstrong\u003eAGAINST EMPATHY \u003c\/strong\u003eshows us that, when it comes to both major policy decisions and the choices we make in our everyday lives, limiting our impulse toward empathy is often the most compassionate choice we can make.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBloom, Paul:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003ePaul Bloom is Professor of Psychology at University of Toronto, and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. His research explores the psychology of morality, identity, and pleasure. Bloom is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including, most recently, the million-dollar Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize. He has written for scientific journals such as \u003cem\u003eNature and Science\u003c\/em\u003e, and for the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, the\u003cem\u003e New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eAtlantic Monthly\u003c\/em\u003e. He is the author or editor of eight books, including \u003cem\u003eJust Babies\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHow Pleasure Works\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDescartes' Baby\u003c\/em\u003e, and, most recently, \u003cem\u003eAgainst Empathy\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50641649893650,"sku":"9780062339348","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_29b7238d-80c7-42b8-ab01-17b0646c56dc.jpg?v=1733028092","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/against-empathy-the-case-for-rational-compassion-9780062339348","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}