Avoiding ‘passive empathy’ with Philosophy for Children

Abstract

This essay begins by addressing concerns raised by Megan Boler regarding empathy's conceptual ambiguities and pedagogical effectiveness. This will be followed by a call for a systematic pedagogical approach to educating for empathy based on dialogue. I will argue that in order to be effective, empathic pedagogy should provide students with a means of engaging across the boundaries of the subject by allowing for peer‐mediated inquiry‐based interactions that support the sharing of affective states. Finally, I will argue that Community of Inquiry—the dialogical, inquiry‐based pedagogy used in the Philosophy for Children program—is a crucial and paradigmatic means for promoting the further development of empathy.