Symbioliving for sustainable development: theoretical design of an empathy index for companionship with the socially and environmentally vulnerable

This study proposes the Integrated Empathy Index (IEI), a framework for assessing and fostering civic empathy toward social and environmental vulnerability. Unlike affective views, empathy is defined as a measurable civic competence linking cognition, emotion, and behavior in collective decision-making. Using an integrative design approach grounded in civic education, inclusion, and environmental psychology, the study develops two sub-indices—SEI (Social Empathy Index) and EEI (Environmental Empathy Index) – each structured into cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. The process covers construct clarification, item generation, and scoring rubrics for educational and policy use. Results include: (1) a unified metric integrating social and environmental empathy for consistent assessment; (2) practical tools such as dimension maps and usage protocols promoting inclusive governance; and (3) a roadmap for future digital and AI-based applications. While large-scale validation remains pending, preliminary results show strong applicability. The IEI contributes by integrating social justice, environmental ethics, and design reasoning into a cohesive evaluative model, offering practical value for curriculum innovation, policy assessment, and spatial planning. Ultimately, empathy is reinterpreted as a civic system enabling equitable and collaborative engagement toward sustainable, symbiotic development.