Empathy is rooted in humans’ innate ability to be both themselves and someone else. The laboratory of literature opens the doors of the imagination, taking us into spaces where we think, experience and metamorphosize, where the boundaries of identity can be called into question and surpassed.
Drawing on examples from Shakespeare’s Othello, this event looks closely at how emotional identification can be transcended in response to the feeling of being a stranger, but also how empathy can open a door of manipulative access to others.
Speaker: Professor Aleida Assmann (University of Konstanz)
Moderation: Professor Claudia Olk (LMU)
Aleida Assmann is Emeritus Professor of English Literature and General Literary Studies at the University of Konstanz.
The lecture is part of the CAS series on “Empathy” at CAS LMU.
The event will be held in German. Registration is required. For more information, please visit the CAS website.
The Center for Advanced Studies at LMU provides a forum for scientific exchange and discussion that bridges the divide between the established disciplines. Its activities are designed to promote all forms of collaborative research and to stimulate interdisciplinary communication within the University. In addition, it facilitates the integration of visiting scholars and scientists into the academic life of the University.