> I thought that one of the few genuine insights made about autism is that so-called autistic people have difficultly reading intentions (their own, or other people's) or even appreciating what minds and intentions are. Which is why they appear selfish, and why they're unqualified to make such statements.
I don't think this is wholly accurate. My understanding was that people with autism commonly have deficient cognitive empathy (they have difficulty discerning others emotions) but not affective or emotional empathy (they get upset if they hear about others suffering).
With sociopaths, it's meant to be the other way round: normal (or better than normal) cognitive empathy, but a lack of affective empathy -- hence their purported skills in manipulation.
My guess is that if there's no sense of self or other then there's no getting upset about others: there's just upset or 'upsetness' (which others may misinterpret as normal empathy).
I don't think this is wholly accurate. My understanding was that people with autism commonly have deficient cognitive empathy (they have difficulty discerning others emotions) but not affective or emotional empathy (they get upset if they hear about others suffering).
With sociopaths, it's meant to be the other way round: normal (or better than normal) cognitive empathy, but a lack of affective empathy -- hence their purported skills in manipulation.