Empathy Is Good; Justice Is Better

Last updated on: January 4, 2019 at 4:23 pm by Roger E. Olson

Empathy Is Good; Justice Is Better 2019-01-04T16:23:08-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In a way, this is “Part 3” of an ongoing series of blog posts about the foundation for ethics. The question with which I began two essays ago was whether or not human rights depend on a transcendent reality “above” nature. Of course, all along (and I mean all along!) I have been arguing here that this is the case—namely that ethical and moral absolutes (not necessarily “rules”) must have some source and foundation “above” nature and that if nature is all there is, then there really can be no moral or ethical absolutes; all is relative.

This question and argument always garners an interesting set of responses. By far the majority of Christians and traditional Jews (to say nothing of Muslims and adherents of other theistic religions including Deism) already agree, so I hear very little from them. When I ask this question and point toward my answer, mostly atheists and agnostics, secular humanists and naturalists respond negatively (and sometimes viciously).

I hesitate to single out any commenter(s) for special treatment here by responding to him/her/them with a whole blog essay, but one person’s (or more persons’) response calls for such, not because I consider it especially pernicious or even obviously faulty but because it is worthy of a considered and somewhat lengthy response.

If I have understood her/he/them correctly, the response to my question and my argument about a transcendent source and foundation for moral and ethical absolutes has been that, if such exist, they are founded upon empathy. I do wonder if we are talking past each other, but I have tried to clarify that and, for now, anyway, believe I understand what he/she/they are saying.

My question, and invitation to conversation, was not about motivation for ethical and moral concern and action; it was about the source and foundation of moral and ethical absolutes. To me these are two different things—the motivation to be concerned and to act and the source and foundation for the moral and ethical principles one believes in.

*Sidebar: The opinions expressed here are my own (or those of the guest writer); I do not speak for any other person, group or organization; nor do I imply that the opinions expressed here reflect those of any other person, group or organization unless I say so specifically. Before commenting read the entire post and the “Note to commenters” at its end.*

Certainly empathy is a very good thing, but it is a feeling and therefore subjective. Everyone’s empathy is going to be slightly different, at least in measure, in intensity, and in terms of priority for involvement. Empathy is a wonderful motivator for social concern and for participation in ethical and moral action—for helping people, for social reform, for change in public policies.

However, if one is asked about why they—the questioner—should care and become involved, empathy only goes so far. What if they aren’t empathetic? That is often the case. Even if nobody empathizes with an oppressed individual or group their oppression is still morally and ethically wrong.

Let me offer an example of why empathy isn’t a sufficient foundation for moral and ethical principles.

According to some researchers I have read, Nazi Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels wrote in his diary after watching newsreel of the German “Blitzkrieg” against Poland. In the film he has seen what the public did not see—innocent men, women and children being slaughtered. According to the researchers, Goebbels wrote in his diary “God harden my heart.” (This anecdote is reported in an essay by philosopher Eleanore Stump; look it up via any internet search engine using key words.)

In other words, he experienced at least a moment of real empathy for the slaughtered Polish people, but he thought there was an overriding principle that was higher and more important ethically and morally than his empathy. What that principle was is not important here. What’s important is to realize that moral and ethical principles must be more than subjective feelings. They must be inter-subjective and some must even be transcendent and absolute.

There are groups of people in this world for whom almost no one has empathy. Certainly that was true in the past; I assume it’s still true. I grew up in a state in which an entire segment of the population was literally despised by most people who did not belong to their group. They were treated as subhuman even if nobody would admit to believing they were subhuman. Nobody I knew growing up in that state had empathy for them. Yet, I came to believe that the way in which they were being treated was absolutely ethically and morally wrong—even as I still did not know any of them personally and did not have any particular emotion or feeling about them.

Again, empathy is good; justice is better. And justice will not automatically arise from empathy and it should be implemented in law and public policy even where no empathy exists—for the disadvantaged. Exactly what justice is is another question. My only argument here is that justice is a transcendental ideal rooted in ultimate reality which is both being and goodness. Call it/him/her/them God or not. (Plato did but apparently did not believe in a supreme personal being.)

Empathy is individual, ephemeral, subjective, fickle. Justice is not. It is real even though it is never fully captured or actualized perfectly in law or public policy. It is what “hovers” over all law and public policy (and treatment of individuals by others) “calling” them to higher, better and purer actualizations of itself. (I realize I’m anthropomorphizing “justice” here, but it’s a figure of speech unless there is a supreme personal being who embodies justice and to whom we are accountable.)

Only this is why slavery was absolutely morally and ethically wrong even when (hypothetically) everyone thought it was right.

This is like the old question about the tree falling in the forest when nobody is there to hear it. Does it make a sound? Yes, insofar as “sound” is defined as sound waves.

Does moral and ethical obligation exist when nobody feels empathy for those suffering oppression, neglect, disadvantage? Yes, but only insofar as justice is more than a feeling or emotion or even a social construction.

*Note to commenters: This blog is not a discussion board; please respond with a question or comment only to me. If you do not share my evangelical Christian perspective (very broadly defined), feel free to ask a question for clarification, but know that this is not a space for debating incommensurate perspectives/worldviews. In any case, know that there is no guarantee that your question or comment will be posted by the moderator or answered by the writer. If you hope for your question or comment to appear here and be answered or responded to, make sure it is civil, respectful, and “on topic.” Do not comment if you have not read the entire post and do not misrepresent what it says. Keep any comment (including questions) to minimal length; do not post essays, sermons or testimonies here. Do not post links to internet sites here. This is a space for expressions of the blogger’s (or guest writers’) opinions and constructive dialogue among evangelical Christians (very broadly defined).

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 2, 2019

Follow Up to Previous Post: Was Slavery Always Morally and Ethically Wrong Even When It Was Legal?

Next Post

January 7, 2019 "Something There Is That Doesn't Love a Wall"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In Revelation, what is the correct sequence of events in the End Times?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Dragon cast to earth, beast rises from sea, false prophet rises from earth, mark of the beast given False prophet rises, dragon cast to earth, beast rises from sea, mark of the beast given Mark of the beast given, dragon cast to earth, beast rises, false prophet rises Beast rises from sea, dragon cast to earth, mark of the beast given, false prophet rises