Sounds like you’re describing sympathy, not empathy. Empathy doesn’t require compassion and it doesn’t require forgiveness.
The main thesis of this entire comment section is the vital importance of empathizing, but not necessarily sympathizing, with those who have crossed any line of social or moral depravity to better understand what led them there. Just saying “they’re monsters by some inherent flaw of character that I couldn’t possibly possess and they don’t deserve to live” is just sweeping the problem under the rug and denying its potential in every other person.
I don’t see the terms as mutually exclusive. They’re pretty closely related.
As for the last bit, that’s exactly what I was getting at. Denying the potential for that is what I said was what the only perceived point/reason of denying their humanity.
That said, forgiveness is the last thing I’m willing to offer. I do believe they don’t deserve to live. They’re the quintessential group that I wouldn’t piss on em if they were on fire.
I don’t know how to work out exactly what grounds to use for it, but it should be up there with mass murder with sentencing. I’m not even opposed to using them for medical research for things that would be unethical in any other way. The opportunity for corruption though is so high I don’t think that’s practical.
Sounds like you’re describing sympathy, not empathy. Empathy doesn’t require compassion and it doesn’t require forgiveness.
The main thesis of this entire comment section is the vital importance of empathizing, but not necessarily sympathizing, with those who have crossed any line of social or moral depravity to better understand what led them there. Just saying “they’re monsters by some inherent flaw of character that I couldn’t possibly possess and they don’t deserve to live” is just sweeping the problem under the rug and denying its potential in every other person.
I don’t see the terms as mutually exclusive. They’re pretty closely related.
As for the last bit, that’s exactly what I was getting at. Denying the potential for that is what I said was what the only perceived point/reason of denying their humanity.
That said, forgiveness is the last thing I’m willing to offer. I do believe they don’t deserve to live. They’re the quintessential group that I wouldn’t piss on em if they were on fire.
I don’t know how to work out exactly what grounds to use for it, but it should be up there with mass murder with sentencing. I’m not even opposed to using them for medical research for things that would be unethical in any other way. The opportunity for corruption though is so high I don’t think that’s practical.