Canadian Paul Bloom, perhaps the world’s leading researcher and author on developmental psychology, has questioned the merits of empathy. Indeed, Bloom’s best-known book is entitled, ‘Against empathy – The case for rational compassion.’ In this book, Bloom suggests: “It is easy to see why so many people view empathy as a powerful force for goodness and moral change. It is easy to see why so many believe that the only problem with empathy is that too often, we don’t have enough of it. I used to believe this as well. But now I don’t. Empathy has its merits. It can be a great source of pleasure, involved in art and fiction and sports, and it can be a valuable aspect of intimate relationships. And it can sometimes spark us to do good. But on the whole, it’s a poor moral guide. It grounds foolish judgments and often motivates indifference and cruelty. It can…