Arts & International Affairs: Volume 3, Issue 1, Spring 2018 | Page 48

THE ARTS, PARTICIPATION, AND GLOBAL INTERESTS
An intense discussion followed. The Fellows debated the differences between empathy
and sympathy, artistic closeness and empathic distance, and whether empathy is a process
or an end.
Asif Majid introduced the psychological concept of “interpathy” that combines empathy
and sympathy.
“What’s not empathy?,” asked Consuelo Hidalgo. The answers brought in judgment,
pathological personality traits, and disengagement.
Empathy may be necessary in the human experience for how we relate to one another,
but it appears not sufficient alone for achieving meaningful results in the cultural and
political spheres.
Day 5: Anger and Anxiety
How do societal anger and anxiety influence cultural activity on local, national and transnational
scales? This theme also examines how artists create meaning from anger and anxiety in
society at large.
After seeing “The Divide” at the Edinburgh International Festival, today Fellows reflected
on the theme of Anger & Anxiety.
By Zach Marschall
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