Århus Feminist Reading Group discussion

Parable of the Sower

The discussion last night was really enlightening for me and opened up many new perspectives on the text. It is such a rich story! The parallels with today are kind of mind blowing.

Ellen sent over this really good article on the book (and sequel):

https://www.newyorker.com/books/secon...

Last night we were trying hard to figure out the role of empathy in the book, and I think what is said in this article about Butler not making a "sentimental" case for empathy is really key. In the book it is very extreme - Lauren has to kill more ruthlessly in order for the pain she experiences to lessen - but I think there is an interesting message here that relates to feminist critiques of empathy.

In my work on education I read a lot about how we rely too much on the notion of empathy. Hoping that we can empathise means that we might not work towards other means of communication and solidarity building. Empathy in feminist thinking can become a bit of a trope, a principle that we must exercise, but is it even possible for us to ever truly understand others? By making empathy flawed in the book, and by making it more about sensation than emotion and thought, Butler makes me think about how community and understanding cannot be built on empathy alone.