Toward a Shared Telos: The Significance of Empathy with Animals in Husserl’s Ethics

In this paper, we interpret Husserl’s rebellion against Kant’s formal ethics as a path leading to ecological ethics, where the notion of ethical anthropomorphism is challenged. In his revisionary swerve from Kant, Husserl underscores the pivotal role of feelings in shaping one’s moral goals. To preempt potential conflicts among individual vocations, Husserl argues for their ultimate reconciliation within a comprehensive harmony, a prerequisite for the emergence of a “personality of higher-order.” This ideal harmony is fostered through personal contributions, and given that animals possess their own degree of personality, they play a vital role in the development of this higher-order personality. This paper argues that Husserl’s value theory should be considered in conjunction with his embrace of the principle of “maximalism” in his later writings. According to this principle, the highest good involves producing the greatest good for the greatest number. Consequently, within this teleological framework, it is untenable to overlook the imperative of empathizing with animals when pursuing the realization of the highest good within the community of love. In other words, both animal and human persons, united through the bonds of empathy, are indispensable participants in achieving the highest level of harmony and the realization of the personality of higher-order.