Idea of Sympathy in Edmund Burke’s Philosophy
Edmund Burke, an 18th-century British philosopher, explored the concept of sympathy as a vital element in human response to aesthetic and moral experiences. In his work “A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful,” Burke discusses how sympathy allows us to emotionally connect with the experiences of others, especially in art and literature.
Sympathy, for Burke, is not merely a passive reaction but a powerful psychological mechanism that enables people to feel emotions seen or portrayed in others. For instance, seeing a character in distress in a play or novel can evoke similar feelings in the viewer or reader. This empathetic process enriches the aesthetic experience by making it emotionally immersive.
Burke’s view of sympathy ties into his larger theory of the sublime and the beautiful. While beauty creates pleasure and harmony, the sublime evokes awe, fear, and grandeur — emotions that often require sympathetic imagination to be felt deeply. Thus, sympathy plays a bridging role between the observer and the subject of art, enhancing the emotional resonance and ethical reflection prompted by aesthetic experiences.
In summary, Burke saw sympathy as essential in interpreting human emotions, moral values, and artistic expressions.