Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Becoming An Empathic Civilization [10:40m animated video]

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Becoming An Empathic Civilization [10:40m animated video]

by Jeremy Rifkin.

The author uses his animated presentation to illustrate new scientific evidence which supports the notion that empathy is an important feature of human nature. Capitalism views human nature as mostly motivated by selfishness, aggressiveness, need to dominate others; and at other times when describing working people capitalist defenders often emphasize laziness and heartlessness. Rifkin's exposition argues that capitalism has tended to distort innate human nature that has often resulted in the expression of negative traits.