Empathy as a virtue: a Confucian interpretation and a tool to address anti-Asian hate crime

ABSTRACT

This paper extends the dominant understandings of empathy – as a trait, state, communication or relationship – by conceptualising it as a virtue and as a tool to address anti-Asian hate crime. Drawing upon the writings of the Confucian philosopher Xunzi, this article interprets empathy as a personal quality that attests to one’s moral excellence. It is argued that Xunzi’s concept of empathy revolves around the ethical attributes of zhong (authenticity) and ren (humaneness). This article amplifies Xunzi’s formulation of empathy by applying it to anti-Asian hate crime in the U.S. The authors propose that Xunzian empathy is a powerful tool to address racism and violence towards Asians through two related and mutually reinforcing approaches: undoing fixation by identifying and eliminating racial/ethnic prejudice and discrimination; and habituating humane conduct by internalising and exhibiting li (normative behaviour) towards fellow human beings. These two approaches and a Confucian construal of empathy as a virtue can be enacted in schools through the strategies of role-taking, empathetic pedagogy, and Global Citizenship Education curriculum.

KEYWORDS:

• Confucianism
• empathy
• virtue
• Xunzi
• anti-Asian hate crime

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Charlene Tan

Charlene Tan, PhD, is a professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong. She has published widely on ancient Chinese philosophy of education. Her latest book is on Confucian mindful leadership.

Priya Goel La Londe

Priya Goel La Londe, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong. Her research examines the relationships between school reform policies, school culture, and the identities and practices of teachers and leaders.