337 - Evil Is the Absence of Empathy

In 'On Anger,' Seneca the Younger provides a thoughtful and instructive analysis of anger, laying bare its roots and exposing its many faces. The essay guides the reader through a series of reflections on understanding the cause of anger and learning how to control it. Seneca argues that anger is a powerful and destructive emotion that can harm the person experiencing it more than others, and he offers practical advice on how to manage and overcome it. The work remains relevant today, offering wisdom and eloquence on a complex emotion that has been a part of human experience since ancient times.

In this book, Joe Rigney argues that while empathy is often seen as a virtuous trait, it can also be a tool for manipulation and a source of harm. Rigney distinguishes between empathy and sympathy, suggesting that empathy involves joining people in their darkness and distress without making judgments, whereas sympathy involves showing compassion while maintaining a sense of boundaries and truth. He discusses how unregulated empathy can lead to emotional blackmail, selectivity, and cruelty, and how it has been exploited in various contexts, including under the progressive gaze and within feminist and church settings. The book emphasizes the importance of genuine compassion that is grounded in truth and justice.