Empathy in its simplest form is having the ability to walk in the shoes of another. Morality is our code of conduct – what’s right and what’s wrong.
There are plenty of good and bad judgements that we make in life, that doesn’t require one to use empathy. For example, if I were to steal Stinkyhenry’s new shoes (not because I wanted to walk in them ie. feel empathy), then, I might experience a tad bit of guilt, because I would feel morally wrong for stealing her shoes.
But do I need to empathize with her in order to feel guilty? If I can recognize an action as wrong and feel guilty, without placing myself in someone’s shoes, then would it be safe to say that empathy isn’t necessary for morality. What do you think?
