Login | Register

Responsibility in the Face of Oppression: Why Empathy Matters

Title:

Responsibility in the Face of Oppression: Why Empathy Matters

Roy, Patricia (2019) Responsibility in the Face of Oppression: Why Empathy Matters. [Graduate Projects (Non-thesis)] (Unpublished)

[thumbnail of Roy_MA_S2019.pdf]
Preview
Text (application/pdf)
Roy_MA_S2019.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Spectrum Terms of Access.
635kB

Abstract

In order to convince her readers to take action to address the structural injustices inherent to global age, Iris Young built what she calls a social connection model of responsibility, where responsibility is shared among agents, regardless of their social position and relations. This means that nowadays, being responsible means partaking in collective action in order to redress injustices that result from everyday accepted practices. This said, because structural injustice produces active ignorance, which is a moral, political and epistemic wrong, agents may often fail to understand what it means to be responsible in Young’s model, especially the privileged, who happen to be the most affected by this type of ignorance. In order to solve this problem, I suggest that empathy should be developed in order to be used as an epistemic tool against active ignorance, as well as a motivating force to undertake collective action with the common goal of achieving a more just society. This research paper explores thus the connection between structural injustice, the meaning of responsibility, and suggests ways to enhance our natural capabilities for empathy to make it a component of working model of responsibility, so the original social connection model of responsibility elaborated by Young can work even in a context where active ignorance may impede one to take collective action.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Philosophy
Item Type:Graduate Projects (Non-thesis)
Authors:Roy, Patricia
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:Philosophy
Date:13 May 2019
ID Code:985425
Deposited By: Patricia Roy
Deposited On:17 May 2019 19:53
Last Modified:17 May 2019 19:53
All items in Spectrum are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved. The use of items is governed by Spectrum's terms of access.

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Downloads per month over past year

Research related to the current document (at the CORE website)
- Research related to the current document (at the CORE website)
Back to top Back to top