I'm not a pacifist. I think the suffering of innocent people can be a catalyst for moral action. But empathy puts too much weight on the scale in favor of war. Empathy can really lead to violence.
Empathy zooms you in on an individual and, as a result, it's narrow, it's innumerate, it's racist, it's very biased. - Paul Bloom
Empathy zooms you in on an individual and, as a result, it's narrow, it's innumerate, it's racist, it's very biased.
- Paul Bloom
Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons. - Paul Bloom
Families survive the terrible twos because toddlers aren't strong enough to kill with their hands and aren't capable of using lethal weapons.
Our best hope for the future [...] lies in an appreciation of the fact that, even if we don’t empathize with distant strangers, their lives have the … - Paul Bloom
Our best hope for the future [...] lies in an appreciation of the fact that, even if we don’t empathize with distant strangers, their lives have the …
When I write I'll sometimes say things which are somewhat controversial - not because I'm seeking out controversy for its own sake, but if I don't ha… - Paul Bloom
When I write I'll sometimes say things which are somewhat controversial - not because I'm seeking out controversy for its own sake, but if I don't ha…
Over the last few years, I've been focusing on questions having to do with the self, and questions having to do with morality. I'm very interested in… - Paul Bloom
Over the last few years, I've been focusing on questions having to do with the self, and questions having to do with morality. I'm very interested in…
I'm very interested in why we do good things, or bad things, and where moral judgments come from. - Paul Bloom
I'm very interested in why we do good things, or bad things, and where moral judgments come from.
I'm really interested in the pleasure we get from stories and the pleasure we get from movies, and certainly the pleasure we get from virtual experie… - Paul Bloom
I'm really interested in the pleasure we get from stories and the pleasure we get from movies, and certainly the pleasure we get from virtual experie…
A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot s… - Paul Bloom
A religion such as Judaism or Catholicism might survive even if it comes to reject a literal account of God creating man and animals. But it cannot s…
Philosophers have often looked for the defining feature of humans — language, rationality, culture, and so on. I'd stick with this: Man is the only a… - Paul Bloom
Philosophers have often looked for the defining feature of humans — language, rationality, culture, and so on. I'd stick with this: Man is the only a…
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