Homo empathicus

20 Feb 2010

New Scientist interview with Jeremy Rifkin on a new model for society based the fact that the human species is social to the core.

A lot of business people would say that you can’t be empathic in the market. But the market is a secondary institution–it’s an extension of culture. The real invisible hand of the market is trust, which is the result of empathic engagement. The only way you can have a market is if you have a shared narrative. The market is not a utilitarian frame of reference, it only exists by the social trust that allows people to engage in anonymous settings and believe that their engagements will be honored. When that trust fails, markets collapse and that’s what is happening now.

Shock full of thought provoking remarks, it’s well worth a read