One way to address the limited moral consideration for non-traditional beings—like animals, artificial intelligences, or future generations—could be to explore how fiction can expand empathy and moral circles. Stories have a unique ability to immerse people in unfamiliar perspectives, but the mechanics of how this works, and how to optimize it, remain understudied.

How Fiction Could Expand Empathy

Fiction might foster empathy by using techniques like first-person narratives, emotional engagement, or speculative scenarios. For example, a story told from the perspective of an AI could help audiences relate to non-human entities. Research suggests this works—studies show literary fiction improves theory of mind—but a deeper dive could identify which storytelling methods are most effective. Case studies of impactful works, like Watership Down (anthropomorphized animals) or Black Mirror (AI ethics), could reveal patterns. A structured approach might involve:

• Reviewing existing research on fiction and empathy.
• Testing narrative techniques through experiments (e.g., measuring empathy shifts after exposure to different stories).
• Developing guidelines for creators to craft empathy-driven narratives.

Potential Applications and Stakeholders

If successful, this research could be useful for:

• Educators, who might incorporate empathy-focused stories into curricula.
• Writers and filmmakers, who could use insights to amplify their work’s impact.
• Advocates, like animal welfare or AI ethics groups, seeking more persuasive outreach tools.

Challenges might include resistance from creators who see art as purely expressive, not instrumental. One way to address this could be to position findings as optional tools, not rigid rules, and collaborate with artists to co-design approaches.

How This Compares to Existing Efforts

Some projects already explore related ideas, like Harvard’s Project Implicit (measuring biases) or The Empathy Library (curating empathetic media). However, this approach could stand out by:

• Focusing specifically on fiction’s role in moral expansion.
• Bridging theory and practice—e.g., turning research into actionable guidelines.
• Including speculative beings (AI, future generations) alongside animals.

By systematically studying how stories shape empathy, this could offer a new toolkit for expanding moral consideration—whether through education, advocacy, or creative collaboration.