An empathic civilization?

There is much in this video that I find fascinating, not the least being Jeremy Rifkin's assertions about our move into empathy. I'm not convinced, though... I think he's talking about sympathy, not empathy? Or at least, I think most of us need to make a bigger move, not just into feeling "with" someone else on the basis of our own experiences, but also feeling "for" through a recognition of difference -- but not difference that divides, rather difference that invites appreciation for diversity and creation.