homo-empathicus
A new understanding of human nature as fundamentally empathic, challenging previous views of humans as primarily aggressive and self-interested.
1 chapter across 1 book
Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis (2009)Jeremy Rifkin
Part III of Jeremy Rifkin's 'The Empathic Civilization' explores the contemporary phase of human history termed 'The Age of Empathy,' focusing on the tension between growing global empathy and escalating environmental entropy. The section outlines chapters addressing humanity's climb to global peak empathy, the planetary crisis of resource depletion, the rise of distributed capitalism, the evolving social self, and the emergence of biosphere consciousness within a climax economy. The introduction and first chapter highlight the paradox of human history where increased empathic awareness has coincided with greater energy consumption and environmental degradation, posing a critical challenge for civilization's survival.