Is Empathy a Threat?

Experience the Event

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Friday, March 13, 2026 12:00 pm

Jennifer Szalai recently published a piece in the New York Times about several recent books that view empathy negatively. Listen in to a conversation with her about these books and the role of empathy in this cultural moment.

This conversation was recorded on November 3, 2025. Learn more at the Virtues & Vocations website.

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Meet the Speaker: Jennifer Szalai

I write essays and reviews about nonfiction books, often with an eye to how they connect to our current moment. Sometimes those connections are obvious: I’ve reviewed memoirs by politicians like Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence, and biographies of figures like Sam Bankman-Fried and Elon Musk. But I’ve also reviewed books about history, philosophy and economic ideas, among other subjects. I try to explore the deeper context behind the news, which can otherwise get lost in the churn. I’m especially interested in nonfiction as a form. Books — even bad ones — aren’t simply delivering information; they are often trying to persuade readers of something, whether it’s a specific argument or a way of understanding the world.

For more, click here.

Article: "How Empathy Became a Threat"

Excerpt: “Empathy has had a strange journey over the last decade. It has been variously assailed as too parochial, too indiscriminate, too feeble, too powerful. It has also been held out as the key to kindness and a bulwark against atrocity. How did empathy become so politically fraught?”

To read the full article, please click here.

Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion By Allie Beth Stuckey

Note: This is listed because it is one of the books that Szalai responds to and so will inform the discussion, but we do not necessarily endorse the content.

We are told that empathy is the highest virtue—the key to being a good person. Is that true? Or has “empathy,” like so many other words of our day—“tolerance,” “justice,” “acceptance”—been hijacked by bad actors who exploit compassion for their own political ends?

In Toxic Empathy, Allie Beth Stuckey argues that empathy has become a tool of manipulation by left-wing activists who bully people into believing that they must adopt progressive positions to be loving. She explores the five most heated issues through which toxic empathy is deployed: abortion, gender, sexuality, immigration, and social justice. Progressives use catchy mantras to present their perspective as empathetic, like “abortion is healthcare,” “love is love,” or “no human being is illegal,” but in each case, they ignore the other side of the moral equation. For example, abortion is presented as compassionate for the woman, but what about the human life the procedure kills?

This book isn’t about killing empathy; it’s about submitting our empathy to God’s definitions of love, goodness, and justice. Stuckey exposes the logical pitfalls and moral consequences of toxic empathy, equipping Christians with research-backed, Biblical truths to dismantle the progressive lies that have permeated our culture—and our church.

For more information, please click here.

Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion By Paul Bloom

Note: This is listed because it is one of the books that Szalai responds to and so will inform the discussion, but we do not necessarily endorse the content. 

In Against Empathy, Bloom reveals empathy to be one of the leading motivators of inequality and immorality in society. Far from helping us to improve the lives of others, empathy is a capricious and irrational emotion that appeals to our narrow prejudices. It muddles our judgment and, ironically, often leads to cruelty. We are at our best when we are smart enough not to rely on it, but to draw instead upon a more distanced compassion.

Basing his argument on groundbreaking scientific findings, Bloom makes the case that some of the worst decisions made by individuals and nations—who to give money to, when to go to war, how to respond to climate change, and who to imprison—are too often motivated by honest, yet misplaced, emotions. With precision and wit, he demonstrates how empathy distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives, from philanthropy and charity to the justice system; from medical care and education to parenting and marriage. Without empathy, Bloom insists, our decisions would be clearer, fairer, and—yes—ultimately more moral.

For more information, click here.