Do squirrels eat hamburgers? Intellectual empathy as a remedy for residual prejudice

Abstract

In this essay, I argue the value of integrating aspects of social identity theory with informal logic generally. Interpretation and judgment can break break down in rhetorical contexts where social differences are significant. This is often the result of "residual prejudice" (Fricker, 2007) and unconscious bias. Using several examples from a study on classroom dialogue in an inner city Midwestern elementary school, I show how bias was the result of unreflective and unconscious social attitudes. I propose a 4 stage process of "intellectual empathy" as a route to more socially reflective thinking, drawing on the strengths of informal logic and social theory. © Maureen Linker.