Should we be more skeptical of empathy than the Cbc seems to be?
cbc has become the flashpoint for a heated debate after Gad Saad’s forthcoming book Suicidal Empathy provoked strong advance reaction ahead of its 2026 release. Saad, described in the material as a Montreal-based professor and prolific blogger, argues that “excessive, miscalibrated empathy” in Western societies produces self-destructive policies. A recent podcast episode produced by Pauline Daikin, University of King’s College journalism professor, singled out Saad’s critique and widened the controversy.
Cbc episode singled out Saad
The immediate thrust of the argument is simple and sharp: Saad coins the term “suicidal empathy” to label what he calls a dangerous, “misguided compassion” that ignores reality, survival instincts, and common sense. His advance notices warn that this “excessive, miscalibrated empathy”—what some commentators have framed as a form of “idea pathogen”—can lead to policies that, in his view, amount to cultural self-harm or even “civilizational collapse. ” The podcast episode produced by Pauline Daikin placed that radical critique at the center of public discussion, amplifying Saad’s examples and alarms.
What Saad and critics are pointing to
Saad marshals pointed examples to make his case: the abandonment of public spaces and school playgrounds to drug-addicted homeless people, rights accorded to illegal immigrants, and the erosion of merit-based hiring and admissions policies. His argument builds on themes from his earlier 2021 book, The Parasitic Mind, and has drawn attention from figures described as iconoclasts, with initial praise from Elon Musk and resident skeptic Michael Shermer noted in the advance material.
Voices in the debate
Pauline Daikin, University of King’s College journalism professor, is credited with producing the podcast episode that spotlighted the volume’s warnings. Paul Bloom, identified in the material as a Montreal-born Yale professor, earlier raised similar questions in 2016 with his book Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion and is cited for noting that modern apostles of empathy tend to equate the concept with “everything that is good. ” The episode highlighted Saad’s radical critique but, the context says, gave relatively short shrift to more mainstream critics including Bloom.
Quick context
Suicidal Empathy is presented as a sequel to Saad’s 2021 critique and is listed with Harper Collins for 2026 publication. The debate was intensified when advance notices and commentary circulated ahead of that release, and a cbc podcast episode brought the arguments to a broader audience.
What’s next
Expect the discussion to persist as the 2026 publication date approaches: the book’s prescription—advocating “true empathy” that pairs compassion with reason, respect for freedom of expression, and awareness of consequences—will continue to be parsed by academics and commentators. The cbc episode has already shaped the opening salvo; further reaction from named academics and public forums is likely as the book becomes available and the debate over how empathy should inform policy and public life moves forward.
