The Empathic Civilization Analysis

The idea of universal love is one that is prevalent in today’s society. Newspaper headlines and television news stories seem to focus on stories brimming with terror and hate. Tensions are high concerning race relations, gender discrimination, and sexual orientation and that reflects in reporter’s stories. Many in the general public are calling for humanity to embrace humanity. Many in the general public are asking “why can’t we just love one another”? Stephen T. Asma tackles this idea of love in his article published in the New York Times. Asma discusses two different ideas about universal love, in his article, before offering his own take on the subject. Just as Asma states, universal love is a myth and closer personal relationships should

His own book, titled “The Empathic Civilization”, details the belief that everyone can simply will themselves to care for humanity in its entirety. Asma holds Rafkin’s view over Singer’s due to the fact that it appeals to the heart rather than the head, but he still finds fault in Rifkin’s thinking. Rifkin’s idea of caring for all of humanity implies that humanity’s capacity to empathize and care is limitless. Our author does not believe this to be true. He also does not subscribe to Rifkin’s idea that individuals should treat all of humanity like extended family. Author Jeremy Rafkin hopes that if mankind can see themselves as family, they will be willing to care for each other. Asma concedes that he wants the idea of universal love to work. He also concedes that humanity could be considered extended family because we all have a common ancestor, but he also admits there has to be a stronger link than a common ancestor. Asma writes that feeling is a biological emotion, a feeling that transmits from the brain and sent out in waves. He compares caring to sprint racing, in the fact that in order to care you must warm up, participate in the event, and cool down. Caring too much and too often can mentally exhaust an individual. There is a difference between feeling compassion when seeing a horrible news story on television and putting time and effort into helping someone in need. Feeling a twinge of sympathy for an

Universal love seems like an emotionally draining concept. The less fortunate will always exist and terror will always plague humanity. This is something that will continue as long as sin is in the world. To expand a circle of love to every individual or will ourselves to love everyone is something that humans might not be capable of. Rather, if humanity focuses on cultivating close relationships that can slowly grow. If person A and person B are under an umbrella of a close relationship they can show each other loyalty and help each other in crisis. Person A can also hold person C in their inner circle and person B can hold person D in their inner circle and treat them accordingly. Eventually, the whole of humanity’s needs can be met through fulfilling the inner circle’s needs. Also, this is not as draining as attempting to care for every person that an individual meets. In short, inner circle relationships are more