철학실천과 공감: 몰입과 거리두기

Abstract

This paper seeks to clarify the philosophical meaning of sympathy for philosophical practice. In my point of view, sympathy should be recognized as one of the most important concepts for philosophical practice. The ontological basis of philosophical practice is the fundamental facticity of Dasein that the world of Dasein is a with-world (Mitwelt). Being-in-the-world is being-with (Mitsein) others in an everyday world, and Dasein’s being with others always already presupposes an emotional basis of sympathy between Dasein and others. Basically, my arguments about sympathy in the context of philosophical practice are based on an ontological understanding of Schleiermacher’s hermeneutics and can be summarized as follows:Sympathy is to be understood as an ontological ground for Dasein’s possibility to overcome the limits of its ego-centric world-view and make loving relationship with others. Philosophical counselors would lack the appropriate and attuned empathic understanding that clients needed if they failed in their attempt to build sympathy for their clients. The ontological ground for Dasein’s possibility to build sympathy for others is the fundamental facticity of Dasein that it exists as a Flesh/Body. This means that philosophical counselors can properly understand the existential conditions of their clients only insofar as they care about issues of their clients concerning their being as a Flesh/Body. Only spiritual beings that are inextricably intertwined with their own Flesh/Body can be ethical. This means that sympathy based on Dasein’s being as a Flesh/Body enable philosophical counselors to find ethical principles for philosophical practice.