This volume is concerned with theories of emotions that can be described as empathetic ones, either because they presuppose the human capacity for empathy or because they are essential to how empathy operates.

By looking at how philosophers in the history of Western philosophy from Ancient Greece up to the twentieth century have understood these emotions, it becomes possible not only to gain a deeper understanding of certain empathetic emotions and their relation to the concept of empathy, but also to see how these emotions are placed within a broader moral, social, or religious context.

Taking into account this context is essential when it comes to engaging with such issues as whether sympathy provides an adequate basis for a theory of human sociability and fellowship, how compassion and pity play key roles in moral life and in the formation of the practical identities of human beings, roles that have been both positively and negatively evaluated, and whether the altruistic character and concern for others that have traditionally been ascribed to certain emotions can be reconciled with competing values such as self-love and the self-directedness of its concerns.

Empathy.
It’s one of the buzzwords of our culture right now. Everyone wants to receive empathy or to be seen to be empathetic. But what is it? And can we describe Jesus as empathetic?

First, a definition from dictionary.com
Empathy
Noun
The psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of another.
I FEEL YOUR PAIN

I feel your pain. Really? Do you? This is our common understanding of empathy, but it’s mistaken. ‘Vicarious’ communicates the idea that we use our imaginations to participate in the experience of others. That’s not the same as actually feeling my pain. It just isn’t.

Joe Rigney's 'Sin of Empathy' collapses under the weight of its own internal contradictions and inconsistencies.

In this episode of Tech Won’t Save Us, we are joined by Julia Carrie Wong to discuss Elon Musk’s recent opposition to empathy, how it comes out of the Christian right, and the relationship it has to previous discussions of longtermism. 

During his most recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Elon Musk levelled a critique at empathy, calling it “the fundamental weakness of western civilization.”

If your first instinct is to brush this off as another example of Musk’s awkwardness, we suggest you think again. As journalist Julia Carrie Wong noted in The Guardian in April, Musk’s comments have appeared “amid a growing wave of opposition to empathy from across the American right.”

A diverse coalition of figures have taken up this “war on empathy,” including pastor Joe Rigney, conservative podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey and marketing professor Gad Saad.

Each has coined their own meme-able phrase: “The Sin of Empathy,” “Toxic Empathy” and “Suicidal Empathy,” respectively.

This video explores the "Empathy Paradox" in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), where individuals excel at recognizing emotions in others but often misinterpret them as negative due to heightened sensitivity. This distorted perception can lead to overreactions and impulsive behavior, especially in emotionally charged situations. While people with BPD have strong empathic skills, their heightened sensitivity often makes them feel overwhelmed and impairs decision-making.

Chronic social dysfunction is also driven by a learned distrust of others, making it difficult for those with BPD to form stable, positive views of people. This often results in an expectation of disrespect, hurt, or abandonment in interactions.

 
 

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Biologist and primatologist Frans de Waal reminds us that empathy is not uniquely human—it’s a mammalian trait.

Empathy is the emotional bridge that binds us—not only to each other but to the animals we care for. And it’s this very quality that forms the roots of human morality.
 
 

 Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In these past few years, it seems as if empathy is being demonstrated much less in children. They’ve been growing up with a lack of it compared to other generations. Every child is known to be taught many values at home, empathy being a major one. But how effective is empathy truly on younger generations?

Many argue that with the rise of technology, many children have started to isolate themselves from the world. As humans, we rely on social interactions to go on with our lives. Many have begun to stray away from verbal interactions for conversations through a screen. This has made many lose communication with kids and interactions decrease.

by Thom Hartmann

Empathy is the ability to experience what another person is going through as a real sensation, a genuine emotion or even physical reaction, in body and mind. It’s what causes us to flinch or look away when we see a dog getting hit by a car or a fellow human experiencing real trauma.

Early on in my years rostered as a psychotherapist in the 1980s, I learned that there’s a subset of the human race — maybe we should call them “Lizard People” because they’re so cold-blooded — who literally lack the ability to experience what others are going through. Instead of being empathic, their processing of other people’s pain (or joy or elation or any sensation or emotion) is entirely intellectual.

Paris Marx is joined by Julia Carrie Wong to discuss Elon Musk’s recent opposition to empathy, how it comes out of the Christian right

My review of Joe Rigney’s The Sin of Empathy garnered quite a bit of interest. A lot of it was positive. Some of it… not so much.

Of course, there was the (predictable) trolling from anonymous male accounts on Twitter/X. My approach there was simple. Ignore. Block. Carry on with my life.

But there were also those who readily dismissed my review, in toto, for one of two reasons:

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At its core, this simple act is what empathy looks like in practice. It is placing yourself in the shoes of another, to use that metaphor, and doing what you can to show care. According to Elon Musk and a growing number of Christian nationalists, empathy is a danger for our country, indeed for the Western world.

In a recent Saturday morning Weekend Edition, NPR host Sarah McCammon aired an interview with Musk broadcast from the “Joe Rogan Experience” in which Musk claimed the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy. In a discussion of immigration he says what we have is “civilizational suicidal empathy.” Jettisoning empathy is also convenient when as McCammon notes you are “making massive cuts to the federal government, including humanitarian programs at home and overseas.”

No need to consider the impact on children, seniors, Veterans or the lives of people who depend on aid for food or the most basic form of health care. 

Michael Ventura

Welcome to the first edition of this newsletter—where I’ll be exploring ideas around empathy, purpose, leadership, and the intersections that matter most to how we work, lead, and live.

To kick things off, I want to share a piece I wrote for The New York Times this past weekend.

It’s an OpEd that’s sparked a lot of spirited feedback—some of it challenging, all of it thought-provoking. The article centers on a core idea: that empathy, once widely celebrated as a virtue, is now being weaponized by some of the most influential figures in business and culture.

Yes, empathy can still be a bridge for connection, healing, and trust—but it can also be a tool for manipulation, control, and performance without accountability.

Rigney has written against “untethered empathy” for years, and he’s not the only Christian to do so. Last October, Allie Beth Stuckey of the popular Relatable podcast published Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion. Stuckey does not write as a pastor; in her world, women can’t do that. Instead she is a “content creator” and podcaster, and her book reads more like a script than a sermon. Still, there’s a logic at work, and it’s similar to Rigney Thought: Stuckey believes there is a difference between “toxic empathy” and biblical compassion. “If you really care about women, you’ll support their right to choose,” she complains. “If you’re really compassionate, you’ll welcome the immigrant.”

Gil Duran

The war on empathy, led by Elon Musk & Donald Trump, is a war on democracy. They seek to dramatically activate and polarize the Republican party

We write a lot about empathy here at FrameLab. As Dr. George Lakoff has said, democracy depends on empathy:

American democracy is based on empathy — citizens caring about other citizens and working through their government to provide public resources for all, making both decent lives and flourishing markets possible.

Why is empathy so crucial?

The logic is simple: Empathy is why we have the values of freedom, fairness, and equality – for everyone, not just for certain individuals. If we put ourselves in the shoes of others, we will want them to be free and treated fairly. Empathy with all leads to equality: no one should be treated worse than anyone else. Empathy leads us to democracy: to avoid being subject indefinitely to the whims of an oppressive and unfair ruler, we need to be able to choose who governs us and we need a government of laws.