America is an empathy-driven society. American politicians, pastors and psychologists consistently preach the importance of empathy in creating a fair society for everyone. In “ The Baby in The Well,” an essay for the May 20, 2013 issue of The New Yorker, Canadian American Psychologist Paul Bloom makes a shocking case against empathy. He begins making his case by defining empathy, and admitting its conventional wisdom. Bloom then presents numerous situations in which empathy can mislead or has misled us. Finally, he wraps up his argument by asserting that while empathy will drive us to empathize only with someone we identify with, reasoning will ensure that we make the right decisions for the better of society and the world. Bloom achieves …show more content…
He does so by defining the word empathy and highlighting its importance through the lenses of his peers. He tells us that empathy is “a rendering of the German Einfuhlung”, and that it means “feeling into” (par. 3) . This dictionary definition helps Bloom’s ethos because it shows that he conducted research the topic before even discussing it. It also helps him establish an intelligent voice and tone. Bloom also acknowledges the opinions of experts on the importance of empathy in society. Economist Adam Smith argues that “what made us moral beings was the imaginative capacity to “place ourselves in his situation . . . and become in some measure the same person” in his book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and Psychologist Emily Bazelon says on Sticks and Stones that “the scariest aspect of bullying is the utter lack of empathy” (par. 3). Citing opposing views to his argument helps Bloom create a fair perspective. It shows that he is unbiased. He respectfully acknowledges opposing views on empathy without discrediting or attacking their argument. This factors into his ethos because he presents strong opposing arguments about empathy rather than weak