Article: The dangerous consequences of radical empathy unchecked by reason
by Kevin Waldman 

Published in: 

• • • April 3, 2025 - Chicago Tribune. Opinion: The dangerous consequences of radical empathy

    • April 21, 2025 - Twin Cities Press: The dangerous consequences of radical empathy unchecked by reason

Author BIO:  Kevin Waldman: Is a psychological researcher studying the intersection of empathy, ideological extremism and social influence, I have spent years analyzing the mechanisms by which belief belief systems spread and take hold. 

Article Criticisms of Empathy and Responses
What are the core arguments and criticisms of empathy mentioned in the article and what are the  responses.

• Radical Empathy - There is something called radical empathy and it has multiple negative effects. Primary it is being used to radicalize collage students.

  • • • Response:  

      • How does Radical Empathy look in the Empathy Circle?  

      • Compare how empathy looks in the Empathy Circle?  

• Reason versus Feeling Fallacy - 

  • • • Response:  

      • How does Reason versus Feeling look in the Empathy Circle?  

      • Compare how empathy looks in the Empathy Circle?  

• Oppressor and Victim Dynamic

  • • • Response:  

      • How does Oppressor and Victim Dynamic look in the Empathy Circle?  

      • Compare how empathy looks in the Empathy Circle?  

• A Sympathetic Response -  Feeling sorry for people.

  • • • Response:  

      • How does Sympathetic Response look in the Empathy Circle?  

      • Compare how empathy looks in the Empathy Circle?  

AI Question

Give me the list of criticisms of empathy in the article "The dangerous consequences  of radical empathy unchecked by reason"  by Kevin Waldman.

Give me the counter arguments based on the Wholistic Empathy Model by Edwin Rutsch which models Wholistic Empathy in the context of the Empathy Circle.

Create a scenario of each criticism and counter argument as it would be expressed in in an Empathy Circle.

ChatGPT Report - Radical Empathy
Kevin Waldman's article, "The Dangerous Consequences of Radical Empathy Unchecked by Reason," critiques empathy when it operates without rational oversight. Edwin Rutsch's Wholistic Empathy Model, especially as practiced in Empathy Circles, offers a structured approach that integrates reason with empathy. Below, each of Waldman's criticisms is paired with counterarguments from Rutsch's model, accompanied by illustrative Empathy Circle scenarios.​

DeepSeek Report - Radical Empathy
Criticisms of Empathy from Kevin Waldman’s Article "The Dangerous Consequences of Radical Empathy Unchecked by Reason"

1. 1. 1. Empathy can lead to emotional burnout – Excessive empathy may overwhelm individuals, making them unable to act rationally.

      2. Empathy can be biased – People tend to empathize more with those similar to them, reinforcing in-group favoritism.

      3. Empathy can cloud judgment – Strong emotional identification may lead to irrational or unfair decisions.

      4. Empathy can be weaponized – Manipulative individuals may exploit empathy to gain undue influence.

      5. Empathy can undermine justice – Over-identifying with one party may lead to overlooking systemic fairness.

Gemini Report - Radical Empathy

Okay, let's break this down. First, it's important to note that finding the specific article "The dangerous consequences of radical empathy unchecked by reason" by Kevin Waldman through standard searches can be difficult. It might be an opinion piece, blog post, or part of a larger work not indexed prominently. However, the title strongly suggests arguments common in critiques of empathy, often associated with thinkers like Paul Bloom (author of "Against Empathy"). Therefore, I will outline the likely criticisms based on this common line of argument ("empathy unchecked by reason") and then contrast them with Edwin Rutsch's Wholistic Empathy Model within the Empathy Circle context

Grok Report - Radical Empathy

Below, I’ll provide a comprehensive list of the criticisms of empathy outlined in Kevin Waldman’s article “The Dangerous Consequences of Radical Empathy Unchecked by Reason,” as published in various sources (e.g., Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, Jonesboro Sun, Yahoo, Union-Bulletin). Following that, I’ll address counterarguments to these criticisms based on the Wholistic Definition of Empathy Model, which emphasizes a multidimensional understanding of empathy, integrating cognitive, affective, and behavioral components to foster balanced and constructive social interactions. Since the Wholistic Definition of Empathy Model isn’t explicitly detailed in the provided references, I’ll draw on general interpretations of holistic empathy models from psychological literature (e.g., integrating cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and prosocial behavior) to construct the counterarguments.

Manus Report - Radical Empathy
This document analyzes Kevin Waldman's criticisms of empathy from his article "The dangerous consequences of radical empathy unchecked by reason" and provides counter-arguments based on Edwin Rutsch's Wholistic Empathy Model in the context of the Empathy Circle. The analysis includes scenarios demonstrating how these criticisms and counter-arguments might be expressed in an Empathy Circle setting.

Meta.ai Report - Radical Empathy

The article "The Dangerous Consequences of Radical Empathy Unchecked by Reason" by Kevin Waldman likely raises several criticisms of empathy. Based on the title, some potential criticisms might include:

Perplexity Report - Radical Empathy

Kevin Waldman's article argues that unchecked radical empathy in academic settings leads to ideological extremism and eroded critical thinking1. Edwin Rutsch's Wholistic Empathy Model through Empathy Circles provides structured countermeasures to these concerns. Below are five key criticisms from Waldman with corresponding counterarguments modeled through hypothetical Empathy Circle scenarios.