Carter Hardy

Worcester State University
  •  37
    Three Problems for Contagion Empathy
    Philosophia 45 (3): 895-901. 2017.
    In this commentary on Michael Slote’s paper “The Many Faces of Empathy,” I assess the ways in which his theory of empathy aligns with simulation theory, as well as the problems that he needs to address because of this. Overall, I present three problems that need to be addressed: How do we know that we have caught the other’s emotion and not merely reacted on our own; What exactly is it about the other’s emotion or attitude that I am mimicking and catching; and Does empathy provide us with object…Read more
  •  22
    Recent studies have revealed a drop in the ability of physicians to empathize with their patients. It is argued that empathy training needs to be provided to both medical students and physicians in order to improve patient care. While it may be true that empathy would lead to better patient care, it is important that the right theory of empathy is being encouraged. This paper examines and critiques the prominent explanation of empathy being used in medicine. Focusing on the component of empathy …Read more
  •  21
    Clinical sympathy: the important role of affectivity in clinical practice
    Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 22 (4): 499-513. 2019.
    Bioethics has begun to see the revaluation of affects in medical practice, but not all of them, and not necessarily in the sense of affects as we know them. Empathy has been accepted as important for good medical practice, but only in a way that strips it of its affectivity and thus prevents other affects, like sympathy, from being accepted. As part of a larger project that aims at revaluing the importance of affectivity in medical practice, the purpose of this paper is to develop a clinical sym…Read more
  •  20
    This dissertation contributes to the philosophy of empathy and biomedical ethics by drawing on phenomenological approaches to empathy, intersubjectivity, and affectivity in order to contest the primacy of the intersubjective aspect of empathy at the cost of its affective aspect. Both aspects need to be explained in order for empathy to be accurately understood in philosophical works, as well as practically useful for patient care in biomedical ethics. In the first chapter, I examine the current …Read more
  •  13
    Humor and sympathy in medical practice
    Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 23 (2): 179-190. 2020.
    Medical professionals seem to interpret their uses of humor very differently from those outside the medical profession. Nurses and physicians argue that humor is necessary for them to do their jobs well. Many (potential) patients are horrified that they could one day be the butt of their physician’s jokes. The purpose of this paper is to encourage the respectful use of humor in clinical prac-tice, so as to support its importance in medical practice, while simultaneously protecting against its po…Read more
  •  12
    Decoding Delusions: A Clinician’s Guide to Working with Delusions and Other Extreme Beliefs
    with V. Hardy Clinical Director Kate and Turkington D. K. V.
    American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 2023.
  •  11
    Empathy and Calm as Social Resources in Clinical Practice
    AMA Journal of Ethics 24 (12). 2023.
    Empathy has been shown to improve patient care and physician well-being. However, the emotional labor involved in expressing empathy might interfere with experiencing calm, equally important to clinicians’ well-being. This article offers examples of how clinical environments can bolster both empathy and calm and suggests that empathy can be expressed socially, not just individually, to build solidarity and make space for calm.
  •  5
    How I Met Your Mother and Philosophy: Being and Awesomeness
    with Bence Nanay, Kris Griffin, Thomas Answorth, Amanda Ypma, and Frank G. Karioris
    Open Court. 2013.
    Presents a collection of essays by philosophers about the television program "How I Met Your Mother," analyzing the personalities and behavior of its various characters from a moral and philosophical point of view.