When reading The Iliad, I was frequently struck by how scantly characters related to each other. Instead of finding ways to connect directly with one another in terms of how they reacted to one another, they frequently connected to one another via intermediaries – the gods. It was quite interesting to me, then, when King Priam made such strong usage of empathy in book 24 when asking Achilles to give his son back.[1] In this scene, Priam implores Achilles to think of his own father and what his feelings would be if he himself were to pass away. Priam’s use of empathy is strong enough that Achilles, though already convinced by the gods to return Hector’s body to Priam, was moved to tears.
“Empathy” derives from the German word Einfühlung, ein meaning “in” and fühlung meaning feeling – literally, in feeling. In turn, this German concept comes out of the Greek term empatheia, a combination of en, or in, and pathos, or feeling.[2] Out of these concepts are where we derive our modern understanding of empathy - the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.[3]
In going to Achilles with this empathic plea, Priam works to place Achilles within the feelings that Priam is experiencing. This is effective for many reasons. First, it takes the focus off tradition. Achilles was still mourning the loss of Patrocles, something that was unjust in his sight; not returning Hector was his revenge. Priam’s empathy appeal evades this issue. Second, it takes the focus off of Priam’s plight. Achilles is less likely to feel sympathy for his enemy, so Priam evokes Achilles’ own father. This leads to the third reason for it’s effectiveness. By using an empathic plea, Priam boosts his own credibility. He’s not a crazed old man driven senile by guilt; any father (Achilles’ included) would feel these feelings.
A prominent modern example is Mary Fisher’s famed “Whisper of AIDS” speech delivered at the Republican National Convention on August 19, 1992.[4] Prior to this speech, AIDS was a highly stigmatized disease, particularly in conservative circles. Fisher, a conservative white woman, contracted AIDS via a philandering husband and become an outspoken advocate for AIDS awareness. In this speech, she created an empathy appeal, simultaneously comparing herself to married, white mothers as well drug users, homosexuals, and other minorities. Here she showed empathy with a population often degenerated by the public; while so doing, she generated empathy for herself from her conservative audience that typically associated AIDS with risky sexual behaviors or drug use. Her use of empathy created a chain with herself as the central link, extending empathy, perhaps for the first time, from a largely dispassionate public to all victims of AIDS.
2 comments:
I agree that Priam's use of empatheia in book 24 was maybe one of the ONLY reasons that Achilles was so responsive (it definitely caught him by surprise, if nothing else) but I don't know that emotional/empathetic appeals are one of the most commonly employed strategies today when it comes to persuasive speaking,it seems like context of the situation is largely in play.
WHY is it that, in The Iliad, we see this absence of empathy? You're right that, the chances of them being able to use sympathy with the enemy is unlikely, but why didn't they have try to use empathy with each other? It seems to go back to this whole notion of glory, strength, Arete.
Making an emotional appeal was considering weak, empathy would require admitting, to an extent, a weakness- which in all instances but the Achilles-Priam conversation seems like it wouldn't work. Which goes back to context- Priam had reassurance that he would be safe, this didn't really exist in another speeches/interactions.
Perhaps I should clarify - I didn't mean that it's THE most commonly used rhetorical tactic used today, just that's it's quite frequent and often unconscious.
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