Apathy (also called impassivity or perfunctoriness) is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest or concern to emotional, social, or physical life. They may also exhibit an insensibility or sluggishness.Often, apathy has been felt after witnessing horrific acts, such as the killing or maiming of people during a war. It is also known to be associated with many conditions, some of which are: Alzheimer's disease, Chagas' disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, dementia, Korsakoff's Syndrome, excessive vitamin D, general fatigue, Huntington's disease, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and others. Some medications and the heavy use of drugs such as heroin may bring apathy as a side effect.
History
Apathy etymologically derives from the Greek απάθεια (apatheia) Apatheia, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apathy