La Relación educativa como ejercicio de distancia: Una mirada a la experiencia compasiva desde Rousseau

Abstract

This article explores the possibilities for compassion in the educational relationship as a path to full recognition of otherness and the relationship with others. This exploration is based on Rousseau's maxims on piety, which use identification with the suffering of others as the way to building the relationship. However, this analysis shows that compassion does not necessarily lead to the recognition of otherness but may in fact contribute to denial. For true recognition, compassion must be mediated by distance, and this distance arises from identifying the suffering other not with oneself, but with others who are close to us and who act as mediators and add the distance we need for the other’s suffering not to nullify any chance of action.