Emphatic civilization

In the first part of this year’s conference Professor Jeremy Rifkin will talk about the emergence of the emphatic civilization, evolution of the human race and ways the evolution has affected our development as well as how the evolution will eventually affect our survival on Earth.

Furthermore, Professor Rifkin will comment on the latest researches that encourage us to consider the standpoint that human beings are by nature aggressive, materialistic, utilitarian and self-interested, arguing that people are essentially emphatic beings. By encouraging us to think about and redefine economic and social models, in particular by examining the triple threat we are facing nowadays – global economic crisis, energy security, and climate change – he poses a question: Where are we, as the human race, headed to?

Professor Rifkin believes that at the core of the human story lies a paradoxical relationship between empathy and entropy. That is, the new energy regimes have been converging with the communication revolution by constantly creating more complex societies. Thus, the more technologically advanced cultures are characterized by diversity and individuality, with a marked empathy sensibility and expansion of human consciousness. However, all that requires also a more extensive use of the energy and hastens our journey to depleting energy sources. The solving of that particular paradox is a critical test for repositioning and survival of the human race on the planet, and requires the redefining of our economic and social models.

The globalization and its effect on empathy (especially in the light of new technologies), emergence of new economic systems, Third Industrial Revolution and start of the biosphere consciousness are just some of the questions that Professor Rifkin will try and answer, at the same time conveying strong messages. Can we reach global empathy in time to avoid the collapse of civilization and save the Earth?