I would argue that failure to presume good faith does more to harm civil society than a lack of empathy. Perhaps presumption of good faith is a form of empathy

I would argue that failure to presume good faith does more to harm civil society than a lack of empathy. Perhaps presumption of good faith is a form of empathy - but I don't need to empathize with someones point of view to presume they have their own very good reasons, and are trying to advance the argument fairly.