Center for Science and Education of Empathy and Compassion
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.
Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
– His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Compassion and empathy, fundamental virtues for the success of communal living and ultimately the survival of the human race, have long captivated the interest of scholars, philosophers, theologians, and policy makers.
But what is empathy? What is compassion? Why are some people more empathic and compassionate than others? And how can we enhance empathy and compassion in our world?
Our goal is to unite the scientific and lay community to investigate the neural basis for empathy and compassion, and use the insights we gain to improve people's capacity to be empathetic and compassionate.
The Center for the Science and Education of Empathy and Compassion (SEEC) includes a team of investigators and collaborators with multi-disciplinary expertise to develop a scientific framework for studying compassion and empathy.
These complex, multifaceted constructs are difficult to define and therefore have eluded scientific investigation until recently. Read more about our research.
News & Events
Watch a discussion with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Neuroscience and the Emerging Mind with professors from UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and University of San Diego, introduced by William Mobley, UCSD's Chair of Neurosciences.
Contact us at empathy@ucsd.edu
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