Federica Madonna

This paper suggests that the concept of cognitive empathy, as currently presented in much of the literature, may rest on conceptually fragile assumptions. The argument is developed in three steps: a reconstruction of the historical misunderstandings behind the idea of empathy; a comparison between mindreading and metacognition; and a proposal for an alternative view of intersubjectivity based on what is defined here as a “relational void”. Rather than demonstrating definitive claims, this contribution aims to open a critical reflection on the theoretical status of cognitive empathy and its possible redundancy when viewed through the lens of metacognitive processes.