Programm
Transcending Skepticism: How Aesthetic Media Foster Empathy through Shared Practices
Freya Gerz
Universität Potsdam, Deutschland
Imagine standing in someone else’s shoes—not metaphorically, but through an immersive experience. Can such an experience transform how we understand others? Aesthetic media, I argue, serve as tools to overcome skepticism about understanding others by engaging us in shared forms of life—our linguistic, cultural, and emotional practices. This bridges theoretical understanding with practical applications, addressing a gap in existing literature on the role of aesthetic experiences in mitigating skepticism.
Building on my Master’s research, I propose that understanding others is not an isolated intellectual act but a relational practice facilitated by aesthetic media. Empathy arises from shared practices rather than being merely cognitive or emotional. Ordinary Language Philosophy, particularly Wittgenstein’s notion of language as practice and Cavell’s concept of acknowledgment, underpins this argument. Wittgenstein sees meaning as embedded in shared activities—what he calls “forms of life”—and Cavell frames acknowledgment as an ethical response to skepticism. Together, they highlight how relational acts affirm others within a shared moral universe.
Aesthetic media, such as film and literature, operationalize this framework. Drawing on Nussbaum’s theory of emotions as evaluative perceptions, I explore how aesthetic experiences engage us emotionally and imaginatively, inviting us to inhabit perspectives beyond our own. For example, Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers uses red tones and disjointed sequences to immerse viewers in shared vulnerabilities, demonstrating Wittgenstein’s and Cavell’s ideas in practice. Similarly, Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse employs shifting perspectives to foster empathetic engagement, mirroring Cavell’s concept of acknowledgment.
Critics argue that aesthetic experiences are too subjective or fleeting to counter skepticism. However, I contend that their subjectivity is precisely what fosters shared engagement. By immersing us in others’ lived experiences, aesthetic media create contexts where acknowledgment becomes possible. Zahavi’s work on intersubjectivity further supports this view, showing that subjective experiences can foster genuine understanding.
The implications extend to education, therapy, and social integration. Integrating narratives from diverse cultures into curricula fosters empathy and reduces prejudice. Therapeutic approaches like bibliotherapy and cinematherapy help individuals process emotions and explore shared human experiences. Emerging technologies like virtual reality offer new ways to cultivate empathy, though they require careful ethical consideration.
Future research could explore other media forms, such as interactive art or music, and their role in fostering empathy and addressing skepticism. Interdisciplinary studies combining philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience could empirically assess the impact of aesthetic experiences, connecting philosophical insights with tangible social outcomes.
Aesthetic media enable us to transcend skepticism by fostering shared practices that cultivate empathy. By bridging theory and lived experience, this work advances philosophical debates and offers practical methodologies for building a more empathetic and interconnected world.