Jeremy Rifkin: The Empathic Civilization / Ross Institute Summer Academy 2010

Jeremy Rifkin's 2010 lecture to Ross faculty discussing the role of empathy in education. He argues that society has been living off outdated ideas that are increasingly dysfunctional and that we need to actively work to change our mode of consciousness. With a belief that human beings are 'soft wired' for empathy, he pleads for educators and society at large to nurture and cultivate this empathy in students in an effort to form a global, biospheric consciousness.

Jeremy Rifkin is founder and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends. Since 1994, he has been a senior lecturer at Wharton School's Executive Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Rifkin is the principal architect of the EU's Third Industrial Revolution long-term economic sustainability plan and has been influential in shaping public policy both in the US and around the world to ensure responsible government policies on environmental, scientific and technology related issues.

Ross Institute / Ross School
East Hampton, NY

[DavetheChimp]

after the traumatic first 15 minutes this video was incredibly inspiring. I have shared it through all my social media outlets because I strongly feel that everyone needs to see this. we're stuck in a mind-set where humans somehow believe they are seperate from the rest of the earth, a mind-set capitalist society encourages as it makes us all want to be individuals and live alone, and thus they get to sell us each a refrigerator, tv set and microwave oven. the internet is a beautiful place as we get to share knowledge and ideas like those in this video. so please share!
sharing ideas and resources are essential if the human race is going to survive.

[ahavan]

I am totally resonant with everything he said in this video. I am encouraged because of his leadership in the world.

[SamWise]

We need to show this speech in theaters across the globe. Translate and distribute.

[XSilvenX]

Took me about 3 days to watch but this was Amazing.

I suppose I can't blame students in this day and age. Like them, I got the natural yearn for learning beaten out of me by the monotony that is school. Sure, I learned some things...but most of my learning has been done on my own. Self-guided and not force fed in a rushed fashion in a classroom with 29 other students. I think school is a great foundation and a springboard for social relations but the real learning comes after you graduate.

A world without oil and gold...a world of knowledge, sharing and cultural diversity. Thks for posting this amazing lecture!

[MsRockdemon]

Bravo Rifkin, very enlightening understanding of humanity's current dire situation.

[patrickmcnurlen]

Thank you Jeremy Rifkin, you inspired me to go vegetarian in the 90's and you've inspired me again!

[JoJoghetto]

One of the best lectures I have listened to on utube. Jeremy Rifkin, amazing teacher.

[efortune]

Jeremy Rifkin is on point.  "The End of Work" is such a relevant book.  Can't wait for his upcoming book "The Zero Marginal Cost Society".  If you like Rifkin check out the documentary "Zeitgeist Moving Forward".  Lots of overlap

[jockcalder]

Mr Rifkin.
You have opened my eyes. I don't know what to do. Though I will do.
Jock.

[crashroots]

rifkin is the best, let´s listen, learn and implement

[TheEpicmonday]

Great talk full of rocksolid facts. And if anyone doubts the soundness of the fundamental social nature of humans, just take a look at the explosive development of social media in the last years. We are definately moving toward global consciousness, the question is whether it will happen in time.

[rosiethebear]

Nations and religions extended empathy but also hostility. There is nothing that enforces empathy with others than to have a common enemy.

[jamespoppitz]

Good provocative ideas...good mental exercises full of half right and half wrong ideas...look at his career, tells you his right to wrong ratios...he's ahead if the curve in many ways...nice multilevel thinking, good intellectual prowess...wonder how he'd hold up in debate....

[ErnestOfGaia]

I am curious if the educational institutions we currently have can keep up. Currently I am able to work outside with nature using her as a model while at the same time watch great videos like these and others that are more academic. By my best calculations I can learn about biosphere relationships and develop my role within the biosphere faster than our current accepted textbooks can be written for the university press and my information is more current than an out of date hot off the press textbook. I am 35 and one of the biggest observations that I am now able to put together is that when I compare the 10 years that I took to work and get my bachelor's degree and end up in debt  with the last 5 years I have been able to re-educate myself and begin to unlearn the damage SOLD to me by my corporate oppressors. I want to make $10 grand a year and save the world with my neighbors and that is what I am doing. It is a shame that I have to undo the damage done to me by our current centralized education system.

[Dblue-rhino]

Absolutely enlightening. One issue- US does not like Paris Accords because unfair advantage given to China- straighten that out and we can talk! China will not agree..

[dashonhurts]

Stefan Molyneux is a good source for those who may need some awakening to the reality that is arguably the start of social dysfunction. Public Schooling and Religion and Child Abuse. All three of these are intimately connected.

[swe]

I hate to burst his bubble. He's grossly mistaken about human nature of the selfish gene, a book written by Dawkins.

[Thiswaybefore]

This 2nd industrial revolution based economy reached its limits because all thermodinamic systems have an entropic horizon. Behond that horizon lies extinction or evolution. We have reached ours. We will most probably evolve, wich means a lot of people will die in a short amount of time. It will be painfull but that will also means entropy levels will decrease drastically giving us the opportunity to operate structural changes in the way we exist in the biosphere provided we learn something

[haroldhart]

Da 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. RIFKIN'S BALONEY MAY SOON BE EXTINCT.