• Elizabeth Dangerfield wrote on how empathy benefits us all and protects society from division and dictators.
• Jack Dikian took a critical look at the Albanese government’s new social media ban on children.
• Christopher Finlay reflected on the lessons from Hannah Arendt’s 1951 book The Origins of Totalitarianism.

At the end of each year, we bring you the top articles that have captivated our members and readers the most over the past 12 months, according to our readership data. In 2025, Rationale has continued to help serve the mission of the Rationalist Society of Australia by providing a platform for rationalist thinkers to share their opinions on important issues. We’ve published articles and letters from many contributors on a wide range of topics, reaching an audience of thousands of readers across Australia and the world. Read the full article

Empathy is rational because it is part of human nature. Empathy is essential for human survival. It is hard wired into us. It helps us bond with our children and our friends, and strengthens our community ties. If we can show empathy, we can be trusted to help others when the going gets tough. Research shows that people unconsciously mimic the actions and feelings of others through shared neural circuits. For example, brain scans show that when a person is in pain, certain brain regions activate, but, surprisingly, the same regions also activate when a person observes a loved one experiencing pain. Read the full article

A varied collection of New South Wales’ Legislative Council members wanted to allow religious aged-care providers to force dying residents from their homes if they chose to access voluntary assisted dying (‘‘Cruel beyond belief’: The legislative push upsetting expert doctor’, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 November 2025). What was motivating these politicians? Certainly not the wishes of those residents affected. And not the doctors. Read the full article

Wherever legislation is framed around slippery language such as that found in the new Act – requiring organisation “take reasonable steps” in order to achieve compliance – we can be assured they will do as little as possible to achieve their obligations. Unfortunately, “as little as possible” in this use case may mean social media platforms outsourcing age verification protocols to the cheapest third-party bidders with questionable regard as to how minors’ data is collected and maintained. Read the full article