Ethical Aspects of Empathy
Paul Strube | BSc Med PhD , Academic Supervisor in Social Science , Endeavour College of Natural Health
Abstract
This article takes a look at the concept of empathy in Complementary and Alternative Medicine . It uses the background of Care Ethics to discuss how it is understood , and considers some of the concerns that have been raised about its often unquestioned acceptance in clinical practice .
Introduction
Perhaps like me , you have always accepted empathy as an inherent good . 1 , 2 Being empathetic is what we do as professionals ; we pride ourselves on it and think of it as a key component of health care practice . But again , perhaps like me , you have become more critical and discerning in your thinking about clinical practice and the relational skills it demands . It is always a good idea to take a step back now and again to question our understandings and value systems . And so in this paper I would like to have a closer look at the ethics of empathy and ask if we really know what empathy is and if it really is all that we think it is .
Consider this scenario
Maria is a registered nutritionist with 9 years ’ experience of running her business as part of a shared complementary medicine ( CM ) clinic in Adelaide ; both her parents were English migrants arriving there before she was born . This afternoon she has her first consultation with a married Indonesian woman who has come to her with concerns over repetitive urinary tract infections ( UTIs ). As she recounts her symptoms , she mentions that one of the most distressing aspects is her sense of depression that nothing she has tried in the past has been of any long-term value . Maria nods emphatically . “ I know exactly how you feel .” she says . Looking her client in the eye for emphasis , she tells her that she feels what she is going through , and that such feelings are not uncommon but can be dealt with as part of the holistic healing process she is happy to work on with her . Maria ’ s empathy for the client is deepening as she relates to her client her own experiences with such depression , ensuring her that she can fully understand what she is going through . Maria can sense that her empathetic response is ensuring she and her client are sharing the same experience . She is confident that they can take healing steps together to help , and indicates this certainty to the client .
Is Maria being truly empathetic here ? Before we attempt to answer that question , a look at the meaning of empathy - how it differs from sympathy and compassion , and how it has been thought about over time - might be of value .
Distinguishing Empathy
The literature on sympathy and compassion is of course considerable , but can be fairly summarised with an example . When I hear that an acquaintance has been admitted to hospital with a badly broken leg , I express my sympathy by sending a card . I feel for them in a way that is more cognitive than affective ; I can easily imagine what they are experiencing but don ’ t feel their pain or discomfort more deeply than that . If I feel sufficiently emotionally moved by their situation to actually do something to help them , such as looking after their cats while they are unable to do so , then I am demonstrating compassion . Compassion is usually associated with a desire or motivation to help . It may be by giving a donation to a charity that assists people I will never meet , such as refugees , or by more immediate acts such as my willingness to look after the pets . Empathy as we will see has a deeper affective , interrelational component that distinguishes it from these two .
One of the earliest views of what empathy is was put forward by the philosopher Edith Stein , who died in Auschwitz in 1942 . Her wording , which comes from her interest in phenomenology , suggests that empathy should be thought of as a three-step process , perhaps best expressed through an example of an experience with someone who is sad , whether a family member , friend , or indeed a client . “ First , I encounter the other ’ s sadness , apprehended directly in her posture , her facial expression or her tears , which are given to me perceptually . Second , building on this apprehension , I eventually explicate the experience , the mood , etc ., that has led the other to experiencing the
88 | vol29 | no2 | JATMS