Empathos

Empathos is a term used in some modern discussions to describe a concept related to empathy and emotional appeal. There is no single, widely accepted definition in academic terminology, and its usage varies by author and context.

In many treatments, empathos is described as a neologism combining empathy and pathos. It may refer to either a heightened sensitivity to others' emotional states and a capacity to share those feelings, or a rhetoric or narrative technique that seeks to foster a felt, shared emotional response in an audience. It should not be confused with classical pathos, which is primarily a rhetorical appeal; empathos emphasizes the experiential alignment with others' emotions.

Contexts where empathos appears include marketing, storytelling, and social media, where it is sometimes used to describe strategies that increase emotional resonance. In psychology or neuroscience, however, the term is not standard, and terms like empathy, affective empathy, or emotional contagion are typically used.

Criticism and caveats: due to a lack of formal definition and inconsistent usage, empathos is best treated as a contested or informal term. When describing it, it is helpful to specify the intended meaning and cite sources. Related concepts include empathy, affective empathy, emotional contagion, pathos, and the rhetorical triad of ethos, pathos, and logos.