Edith Stein and the problem of empathy: insights for responsible innovation

Abstract

This paper argues that the concept of empathy can provide a rich philosophical source for the nascent area of Responsible Innovation (RI). The lens through which this study looks at RI is that of phenomenology. The research question addressed is: What are the implications of Edith Stein’s phenomenology of empathy for Responsible Innovation? The paper makes two contributions. It adds a new voice, that of the philosopher Edith Stein, to the debate on innovation and in particular the emerging area of RI. Second it proposes a synthesis of the innovation and empathy literature to facilitate dialogue between philosophers and both management academics and practitioners. One of the main arguments of the paper is that the concept of empathy can inform the quest to understand and explain what is meant by von Schomberg’s definition of RI as a process of mutual responsivity of actors.