Empathy as a Method: from the Philosophical Point of View

Abstract

The article examines the emergence and establishment of the concept of «empathy» in philosophical approaches of the end of XIX — early XX centuries. As immediate predecessors of the concept of «empathy» the W. Dilthey’s concept of «coexperi- ence» (Nacherleben) and the T. Lipps’s «feeling into» (Einfühlung) are discussed. The way of formation, synthesis of meanings, which are typical to the modern understanding of empathy, is analyzed. As a main context, which sets the direction of such a synthesis, the problem of the subject and method of the humanities and psychology in particular is considered. «Experience» and «empathy» since their appearance in the philosophical systems were viewed as the united concepts within the link between the subject and method of «understanding (descriptive) psychology». A detailed analysis of how W. Dilthey, E. Husserl, E. Stein, T. Lipps, M. Scheler and K. Jaspers viewed this problem is given.

Keywords

• empathy
• experience
• Einfühlung
• coexperiencing
• Nacherleben
• sympathy
• descriptive psychology
• phenomenology
• philosophy of life
• method of psychology