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PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

PART I The article by Jason Silverstein starts by making a reality assumption that lack of empathy can lead to national tragedies like in the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case. This has an implied assumption that if lack of empathy has the power to cause national tragedies, it most definitely is also the cause for smaller but much equally important discrimination issues and tragedies. To counter the problem, the author suggests that the problem is that people aren’t even “feeling” the pain in the needle experiment when they clearly should. This value assumption is established on the previous reality assumption that lack of empathy indeed does cause national tragedies which also includes smaller discriminations and other prejudices. One very clear reality assumption stated in the article is that bias against being black is relative to social status and hardships. There is another reality assumption piggy backing the previous reality assumption that more hardship consumed equals less pain received. It is necessary to see that these assumptions were a result of a research and not foundational assumptions of people. The researchers might have entered with their own value and reality assumptions but what we see in this essay is the outcome or their “new” perspective towards assumptions. 1The article dives deep into another reality assumption that there is a single black experience in the world. Now, because this belief assumes blacks are already hardened by racism, people believe black 1 Silverstein, Jason. “Why White People Don't Feel Black People's Pain.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 27 June 2013, www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/06/racial_empathy_gap_people_don_t_perceive_pain_ in_other_races.html.

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PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

people are less sensitive to pain. Because they are believed to be less sensitive to pain, black people are forced to endure more pain, hence these assumptions. At one instance in the article, the author also tries to reach to an assumption just like how we reach conclusions. He starts by mentioning that medical personnel may care deeply about treating the pain of minorities and then goes on to start creating an assumption of his own that they might recognize less of it—and this may explain why the pain is so poorly treated. 2(an assumption is structured through facts/research). Another value assumption that is clearly stated in the article is when he talks about minority students and that they are more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension, even if they have a disability, more likely to be referred by their schools to law enforcement, more likely to be arrested, more likely to be tried in adult court, and more likely to receive a harsh sentence, but they shouldn’t. An immediate implied value assumption follows that says that if we know part of the problem is a lack of empathy, you should learn empathy and overcome an implicit bias. Going off of on a different tangent, the psychology today article also bags multiple reality and value assumptions. The writer, Sara Konrath, starts by implying a value assumption that many of us should see empathy as a good thing because it is morally true and correct. Now, this assumption is trickier to analyze because it’s not just a part of Sara’s own assumptions but is also mixed with statistical surveys i.e. part of other people assumptions about empathy. The article continues to support its implied value assumption, which makes it a fairly long assumption by saying that 2 Konrath, Sara. “What's the Matter with Empathy?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-empathy-gap/201703/what-s-the-matter-empathy.

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PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

if asked, we should say that we want empathic spouses, children, friends, teachers, doctors, and bosses. And that we should to be empathic people ourselves. Sara makes multiple reality assumptions about Paul Bloom’s intentions of writing the book. She assumes that Paul Bloom’s idea of empathy is that having empathy will be at the expense of helping other people which in fact is a far stretched assumption considering that not helping other people due to having empathy for some people is only one of the many reasons why Paul Bloom defends against having empathy for people. Sara also makes a value assumption that empathy in no way should be a problem of morality and then extends the support to this assumption by saying that there is compelling evidence to support it. What Sara is assuming is the type of empathy Paul Bloom assumed in his book. Sara might not be convinced by Paul’s argument on the basis of the form of empathy he is assuming in the book versus what Sara assumes it should be. To be more specific, Sara assumes Paul’s idea of empathy roots from Emotional Contagion. It is the form of empathy that President Clinton was describing, where we directly feel what others feel. This could be exhausting: It might overwhelm us and make us want to escape others’ pain rather than alleviate it—that’s why some researchers call this “empathic distress.” Another direct value assumption made by Sara not just on Paul’s book but in general is that trying to take other people’s perspectives shouldn’t always produce morally good results. For example, we are not always accurate when we try to read other people’s emotions and imagine their perspectives—some of us are better at it than others. Sara puts worth an unstated assumption in the end that it’s useful to recognize 3

PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

the ways that empathic concern can sometimes lead us to make questionable decisions—so that we can guard against some of these problems while still harnessing its potential for good.

Part II “As the path appears”, according to me, is a movie whose primary purpose is not to inspire a wave of empathy amongst privileged people all around the world but to be a testament of the fact that every part of the world including the third world countries are prospering and have immense potential to growth and development. Of course, I am making a reality assumption here by assuming that this is, in fact, the purpose of the documentary. The sole purpose of the movie however should not be to incite empathy in the sense that people start perceiving things around them with the perspective of the documentary. This value assumption of mine roots from the article we read. Emotional contagion is the type of empathy in which people feel exactly how others are feeling. Isn’t it almost impossible to exactly feel what others are feeling unless you are in the same exact position as them and have been through the exact series of events as them? Therefore, I make the reality assumption that the documentary didn’t intend to encourage emotional contagion as a form of empathy at all. A hidden assumption here lies is the type of audience I assume the movie is targeting. The target audience can range from lower income individuals, to

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PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

poor/homeless individuals or maybe even richer individuals. Considering the source of the documentary i.e. a digital copy that can only be viewed potentially on a screen, I make a reality assumption that the documentary was aimed towards middle/upper class income individuals so that it can fulfil what we assumed earlier, testament of growth. While I was watching the movie, I immediately though the audience is targeted in the west, geographically speaking. Why couldn’t they have targeted neighbors like Atlanta/Kenya? Maybe, they did. I also made a value assumption that the film should be aimed towards the audience in the west because according to me suffrage can only be sympathized and not empathized with if you’re both in similar circumstances. In order for the film to succeed, I believe it should have been originally targeted to their neighbors because growth leads to growth and seeing neighbors flourish will eventually lead to a domino effect. This value assumption holds true only if my other reality and value assumptions are correct though. If they’re not true and it turns out that the movie in fact did try to narrate their story to the west by creating a sense of empathy in their minds, all my value and reality assumptions will claim incorrect and “imagining yourself in others’ shoes” form of empathy would rather fit my reality/value assumptions more. Some instances from the movie do prove that there is some need of empathy from outsiders and that there is a need for someone to think from their perspectives instead. “Some children can’t study because they have internal parasites.” Instantly hits the spot of every parent and even human being because no one should want to not be able to do something because they have internal parasites. Again, I’m making a 5

PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

value assumption here that no one “should” not want to be in that situation but in order for me to analyze the purpose of the statements in the movie, it is vital that I make this assumption. Another aspect where one could argue that the documentary did intend to encourage empathy amongst outsiders (possibly the rich in the west) roots from the following statement “Success is not possible without huge investments of teachers/workers/powerful people.” This can be a way the film makers/ directors of the film used to seed the idea of possible investments in their projects etc. The one point that drives my attention is when the movie shows how leaders can be grown from instances of violence, poverty etc. I assume whether, for a second, the intentions behind making the movie shifted towards proving that areas that are considered backwards do not actually need anyone’s help in order to bloom but in fact is need for outsiders to respect their culture and not meddle with traditions and customs because this is how they believe leaders are created. I had multiple assumptions before and while watching different parts of the movie. I am a strong feminist and when I was watching the documentary for domestic abuse against women, I could only think of how those women had to go through tough situations on a regular basis. What I assumed here was that domestic violence mostly occurs physically and that women are forced to sustain it. I realized that my reality assumption about domestic violence was very incorrect and after watching the movie I realized domestic violence isn’t just physically but also mentally and physically. Domestic abuse and violence are not something necessarily a one-off thing. It can last for years before the 6

PHIL 105 Homework #1 Professor Amy Bush Submitted by: Tanishq Joshi Date: 10/26/18

abused decides to raise their voice. I also realized the movie had their own bias considering the race of most of the women in documentary which reminds me of the empathy gap in races. Why were domestic cases of only black/Latino were shown and why were only white males shown in the focus groups? I would for that cause make a value assumption that if the movie’s purpose is to seed motivation amongst other women to raise their voice and not suffer in silence (another reality assumption), they should definitely include all races, both men and women, so that there is a clearer perspective that other people can relate with. Does that mean this movie also intend a hint of empathy for the viewers? I assume so. If I had the opportunity to ask the producers of “A path appears” I would definitely ask them why they thought it would be a good idea to have a man lead the way for an entire generation of young girls. While we’re focusing on the movie being a white savior instance, I am more worried whether people start assuming that women/girls need help from men in order to succeed. I absolutely respect the cause and all the effort that went into making and providing such opportunities for a generation of girls who are so under-privileged but at the same time I would not want to see this result at the cost those girls’ success being credited to the help of a man. I’m making various implied and hidden assumptions here like who was responsible entirely to start the school and whether the fact that the movie was (probably) a white savior movie. I believe since I’m not the best person this question should be asked to (considering my race), I should remain quiet on that stance: another value assumption.

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