title: The phenomenology of depression and the nature of empathy.
abstract: This paper seeks to illuminate the nature of empathy by reflecting upon the phenomenology of depression. I propose that depression involves alteration of an aspect of experience that is seldom reflected upon or discussed, thus making it hard to understand. This alteration involves impairment or loss of a capacity for interpersonal relatedness that mutual empathy depends upon. The sufferer thus feels cut off from other people, and may remark on their indifference, hostility or inability to understand. Drawing upon the example of depression, I argue that empathy is not principally a matter of 'simulating' another person's experience. It is better conceived of as a perception-like exploration of others' experiences that develops progressively through certain styles of interpersonal interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, Durham University, 50 Old Elvet, Durham, DH1 3HN, UK, m.j.ratcliffe@durham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ratcliffe
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D012938:Social Perception