Abstract
The relation between empathy and morality is a widely discussed topic. However, previous discussions mainly focused on whether and how empathy influences moral cognition and moral behaviors, with limited attention to the reverse influence of morality on empathy. This review summarized how morality influences empathy by drawing together a number of hitherto scattered studies illustrating the influence of targets’ moral characteristics on empathy. To explain why empathy is morally selective, we discuss its ultimate cause, to increase survival rates, and five proximate causes based on similarity, affective bonds, the appraisal of deservingness, dehumanization, and potential group membership. To explain how empathy becomes morally selective, we consider three different pathways (automatic, regulative, and mixed) based on previous findings. Finally, we discuss future directions, including the reverse influence of selective empathy on moral cognition, the moral selectivity of positive empathy, and the role of selective empathy in selective helping and third-party punishment.
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We are grateful to Li Yi for helpful suggestions.
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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31872782, 32071075).
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Y.W. conceived of the theoretical framework, drafted the manuscript, and revised the manuscript. P.H. contributed in critical manuscript revisions. M.P. revised the manuscript. Y.S. acquired funding and revised the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved of the final manuscript.
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Wang, Y., Harris, P.L., Pei, M. et al. Do Bad People Deserve Empathy? Selective Empathy Based on Targets’ Moral Characteristics. Affec Sci 4, 413–428 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-022-00165-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-022-00165-y