ABSTRACT
What is empathy? Answers differ. To make things even more confounding, people disagree about how different the different definitions of empathy ultimately are! It is therefore a tricky topic to approach, but this handbook enters into this disputed territory fearlessly. It succeeds by giving voice to a range of different positions on empathy, from its Germanic origins in theories of art appreciation to its current appearance as an affective state that may play a significant role in morality. Philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience are all represented, as are philosophy of mind, aesthetics, ethics, and phenomenology. The handbook therefore offers a little something to everybody, regardless of his or her taste or philosophical predilections. Because of its breadth of scope, there is plenty of opportunity for learning about different approaches and ideas, even for people well versed in empathy.
