With primatologists, evolutionary psychologists, and corporate think tanks currently enthusing over empathy as a basic instinct in chimpanzees and humans alike, that psychological concept has received very little historical attention, especially compared to its parent emotion of sympathy. I want to change that by examining the development of empathy within the context of early-twentieth century pacifism in the United States and the development of the democratic cosmopolitan principle of routinely “stepping outside” of one’s own perspective by imagining the interests and needs of others.
Few early-twentieth century pacifists actually spoke of empathy, for the word was just then entering the English language by way of professional psychology. But the concept itself of mobility of consciousness and association with different perspectives became increasingly prevalent in early to mid-twentieth century U.S. pacifism; the deliberate and mechanized killing of the nation’s enemies is more difficult to accept after adopting their perspective and imagining oneself being subject to American military force.
Within this specific history of empathy and pacifism, Mark Twain’s story “The War Prayer” (1904) stands out for its imperative to think of the other side of U.S. war making. Fiercely opposed to the Philippine-American War, Twain served as Vice President of the Anti-Imperialist League from 1901 to 1910. He also penned some of the most effective anti-war tracts in American letters. “The War Prayer” went unpublished until Twain’s death because of its profound leveling of American patriotism and militarism. Joining a Protestant congregation on a Sunday morning praying for victory for its brave young soldiers in a new American war, the story has God sending a messenger to the church service, saying that the prayer will be answered if the Christians can also see fit to pray for the painful death and destruction of their foe.
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