Empathy might seem a natural human emotion—but is it?

Or does it have a history; is it culturally produced and regulated? Is it always positive or does it have a darker side?

The speakers at this symposium explore the question of empathy from a range of disciplines — philosophy, religion, aesthetics, literature, film studies, history.

They ask what role the creative arts have, and should have, in the production of empathy, how different historical cultures have viewed empathy, and whether empathy is simply a warm inner feeling or requires outward action to be effected.

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SPEAKERS:

• Louise D’Arcens (University of Wollongong)
• Helen Day (University of Central Lancashire)
• Yasmin Haskell (The University of Western Australia)
• Fincina Hopgood (The University of Melbourne)
• Jay Johnston (The University of Sydney)
• Andrew Lynch (The University of Western Australia)
• Juanita Ruys (The University of Sydney)
• Carolyn Strange (Australian National University)
• Anik Waldow (The University of Sydney)