Interpretation of human fragility through empathy

humanistic perspective from the philosophy of Edith Stein

Abstract

This reflective article explores philosopher Edith Stein’s thoughts on empathy and, in this context, examines it as a lens through which to interpret the inherent fragility of the human condition—not merely as a discursive exercise but as a sociocritical endeavor. Her philosophical propositions on the subject help us understand that life is a form of coexistence or a higher self that requires experiencing the self of others. This vision restores the authentic meaning of empathy, moving beyond its conventional understanding as a feeling of compassion or solidarity in the face of another’s pain, and transcends into the dimension of a life project, in which otherness or closeness to the other is an indispensable part of that project. For this reason, empathy is the opposite of indifference and selfishness, and, even more so, of the utilitarian vision of a materialistic and consumerist society. To achieve this goal, the methodology of discourse analysis, the qualitative approach, and the sociocritical paradigm were employed.