People who try to develop their „human nature“ are doomed, because they ignore their authenticity. At least that’s what Prof. em. Ronald de Sousa told me at the conference „Empathy, Sympathy, Concern and Value“ in Essen. For the coffee breaks usually don’t let enough time for good conversations, we continued later in a pub.
How many grains make a heap? Is there more water in tea or in the sea? Are fishermen allowed to catch wales? Should philosophers show cute puppies in their talks to convince the auditory? That’s Jesse Prinz in Stuttgart.
Marine iguanas like to sun themselves together, tells Michael Slote passionately. Slote is Professor at the University of Miami where marine iguanas are, according to him, all around the campus! Cute animals like the red footed tortoise or crocodiles and their empathic behavior are as much part of the talk as empathy in human animals. Concerning the last, Slote floats (among others) the idea that emotional empathy is more active than it has thought to be.