Sociology, Empathy, War, and Peace

Peace is Every Step

What is Sociology?  Different people have very different takes on the subject, of course.  Here is the way Sam Richards, a Sociologist and Co-Director of Race Relationship Project at Penn State University, explained it recently to an audience.  He demonstrated what he calls "A Radical Experiment in Empathy".  Very interesting!   In a book that just came out entitled Unmaking War, Making Men, which I hope to read soon, Kathleen Barry,  Professor Emerita of Sociology at Penn State University seem to be exploring the subjects of War and Empathy further.  If you have read the book, and feel like it, tell us what you have learned from it and how it made you feel.

As recently as 2009, War and Empathy became intertwined in the American political theatrics in the so called War on Empathy.  See for example this article.  As Sam Richard explains, stepping out of our shoes and into those of others helps us see things from a different angle and broadens our perspective.  And perhaps, it can help us understand how and why others, perhaps with very different views than ours, feel so differently than we do towards different subjects.  There is an interesting article on Science 20 that explores the subject of empathy from a biological and evolutionary standpoint, and in contrast to the notion of the selfish gene popularized by Richard Dawkins' book.  Quite interesting!

Peace in the Mountain

Here is another video clip that talks about empathy and the importance of including it in the K-12 curriculum.   The term "empathy" is defined as "being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes".  American author and humorist, Mark Twain wrote a very interesting short essay which is very relevant to the subject of empathy, entitled "The War Prayer".  It was only published after Twain's death. Here and here are two screen adaptations of this piece.  Mark Twain wrote to his friend Dan Beard, to whom he had read the essay, the following:

I found an interesting essay entitled "My Turn" by author and speaker Dr. Wayne Dwyer on the very subject of War and Empathy.  Here is a noteworthy paragraph from this essay that is well worth reading and pondering upon.  Note that this is addresses to an American audience and from the point of view of an American, though it can be very easily rephrased so as to address audiences belonging to (or sympathizing with) other nationalities:

The above paragraph reminds me of a short segment in a wonderful audio program entitled Practicing Peace at Times of War (also the time of her book on the same subject) by Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön.  Here is what she says in there quoting from the teachings of Buddhist master Shantideva: (see pages 27-28 of Pema Chödrön's book):

It is only fitting to end this post with couple of very interesting songs on War, Peace and Empathy.  The first one is Tom Waits' great song Road to Peace.  The second is Cat Stevens' beautiful song Peace Train that I wrote about in an earlier post. Hear it in here performed not by Cat Stevens, but a talented fan and artist.  Very close to the original, isn't it? It you've made it so far and are in the mood, here is another one of my favorite beautiful songs by Cat Stevens: Father and Son.  Enjoy!