Introduction

In 2013, the author published a book about empathy and ethics in which the argued that being able to imagine what it is like to be someone else is a necessary condition for ethical life. In the period subsequent to the publication of the book, the author began to reflect more critically on the nature of the relationship between empathy, ethical life, and political change. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the most significant of the barriers which inhibit their realization. It argues that a culture of escapism and nihilism inhibits philosophical life. The book also examines the ways in which contemporary culture inhibits our capacity to engage in critical thought, and how it impedes our journey to ethical life. It looks at two practical tasks on which the people must embark in order to begin their journey to ethical life.