Dr. Breithaupt is professor of Germanic Studies, adjunct professor in Comparative Literature, and affiliated professor of Cognitive Science at Indiana University. He has served as the director of the West European Studies Institute, was a co-founder of an official EU-Center of Excellence, and currently directs IU’s Experimental Humanities Lab. Dr. Breithaupt is known for his research in the fields of empathy, human narratives, and moral reasoning. His most recent publication, “The Dark Sides of Empathy,” takes a closer, more nuanced look at what drives human empathy for one another, and some of the underlying effects of this phenomenon around the world. 
In this interview, Dr. Breithaupt discusses his insights on the resonating effects of empathy on western society.