RSA Animate - The Empathic Civilisation

Bestselling author, political adviser and social and ethical prophet Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of empathy and the profound ways that it has shaped our development and our society. Taken from a lecture given by Jeremy Rifkin as part of the RSA's free public events programme.
Watch the full lecture here: http://www.thersa.org/events/video/ar...

The RSA is a 258 year-old charity devoted to creating social progress and spreading world-changing ideas. For more information about our research, RSA Animates, free events programme and 27,000 strong fellowship.
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Produced and edited by Abi Stephenson, RSA. Animation by Cognitive Media.

• Category

  News & Politics

[ActronJimmy]

So basically, a society based on money being the most important thing there is, represses empathy because it makes people with more money feel better than and more important than others. And brings on secondary things like narcissism, materialism, violence, aggression.

[petarded12]

down with capitalism!

[Money Mitch]

his illistrations are awesome

[senateb]

The forager-hunter drawing reminds me of the drawing of Slavoj Zizek

[We NeedChangeNOW TVP-TZM]

Economics means to "Manage a household" and thats all.

The money system does not create empathy but money creates war.

― Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier

[iNSTiiNCTZz1]

Here's one to make you think. I would empathise with those who understand this and who are for it but I won't empathise with those who don't understand it because how can they be for it?

[Hendrik Zaad]

Peter Kropotkin; read up

[ActronJimmy]

Basically what I am trying to say is that when people value money more than they value people, their natural propensity towards empathy gets repressed. I am not saying that all people with more money value money more than people.

[yootoby]

no, it doesn't make people with more money feel better. plenty of studies show quite the opposite.

[Zachary Champoux]

Money is a root cause of empathy? And economics has nothing to do with money? Please tell me more.

[We NeedChangeNOW TVP-TZM]

Money is a root cause and economics has NOTHING TO DO WITH MONEY!

[Zachary Champoux]

Just because money is correlated with a society that shows empathy doesn't mean it is the cause of it. It may very well be in spite of it.