Einfühlung in Analytic Philosophy: A Historical Perspective

The concept of Einfühlung, empathy, has practically run through much of analytic philosophy,
sometimes explicitly, sometimes tacitly. From Hempel to Wittgenstein it has been
widely criticized, albeit for different reasons. Nevertheless, one often comes across considerations
aimed at restoring this form of Verstehen, understanding, but perhaps the model
of understanding that has been most successful in analytic philosophy is the societal one
of Wittgenstein and some of his followers (such as Peter Winch). Einfühlung reappears in
Saul Kripke’s careful reading of some of Wittgenstein’s texts and is somewhat present in
Donald Davidson’s theory of interpretation, as well as in W.V. Quine and in contemporary
debate on Mindreading and the now famous Simulation Theory of Alvin I. Goldman and
Robert Gordon (which we will leave aside here).