There is a selfish motive to everything we do. Unselfish motives are compatible but optional.
For example, i share toilet paper with roommates before they pay me back because it's easier than keeping track of who buys what. I still want to be paid back, of course, but i take the risk up front to get that particular benefit.
the ethic of selfishness, example
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commonsense
- Posts: 5259
- Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2017 6:38 pm
Re: the ethic of selfishness, example
It seems as though you are first of all doing something for others—sharing—because it’s easier than doing something for yourself—keeping track in order to be paid back.Advocate wrote: ↑Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:34 pm There is a selfish motive to everything we do. Unselfish motives are compatible but optional.
For example, i share toilet paper with roommates before they pay me back because it's easier than keeping track of who buys what. I still want to be paid back, of course, but i take the risk up front to get that particular benefit.
But perhaps you are not saying you do something altruistic first, and then something selfish. Perhaps you are saying that the first act, though superficially altruistic, is actually driven by selfish motives.
The same 2 behaviors, but with different interpretations—it sorta makes you feel that morals are subjective.
Re: the ethic of selfishness, example
[quote=commonsense post_id=482090 time=1606584877 user_id=14610]
[quote=Advocate post_id=481672 time=1606397640 user_id=15238]
There is a selfish motive to everything we do. Unselfish motives are compatible but optional.
For example, i share toilet paper with roommates before they pay me back because it's easier than keeping track of who buys what. I still want to be paid back, of course, but i take the risk up front to get that particular benefit.
[/quote]
It seems as though you are first of all doing something for others—sharing—because it’s easier than doing something for yourself—keeping track in order to be paid back.
But perhaps you are not saying you do something altruistic first, and then something selfish. Perhaps you are saying that the first act, though superficially altruistic, is actually driven by selfish motives.
The same 2 behaviors, but with different interpretations—it sorta makes you feel that morals are subjective.
[/quote]
The altruistic aspect is a by-product. In other words, if i had to choose only one part of the equation, it would be to not have to keep track. To be altruistic i'd have to be giving up something i want for myself, but my motive for getting paid back isn't as important in the immediate sense. If i never get paid back, the motive of not keeping track would be subsumed under the motive of justice and if that wasn't sufficient, by the existential need to be able to pay for other things.
[quote=Advocate post_id=481672 time=1606397640 user_id=15238]
There is a selfish motive to everything we do. Unselfish motives are compatible but optional.
For example, i share toilet paper with roommates before they pay me back because it's easier than keeping track of who buys what. I still want to be paid back, of course, but i take the risk up front to get that particular benefit.
[/quote]
It seems as though you are first of all doing something for others—sharing—because it’s easier than doing something for yourself—keeping track in order to be paid back.
But perhaps you are not saying you do something altruistic first, and then something selfish. Perhaps you are saying that the first act, though superficially altruistic, is actually driven by selfish motives.
The same 2 behaviors, but with different interpretations—it sorta makes you feel that morals are subjective.
[/quote]
The altruistic aspect is a by-product. In other words, if i had to choose only one part of the equation, it would be to not have to keep track. To be altruistic i'd have to be giving up something i want for myself, but my motive for getting paid back isn't as important in the immediate sense. If i never get paid back, the motive of not keeping track would be subsumed under the motive of justice and if that wasn't sufficient, by the existential need to be able to pay for other things.
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Eugene Glus
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 7:50 pm
Re: the ethic of selfishness, example
I guess if everyone has his own world-view or any other views in general about anything, only this one is enough to see that our ethics might be selfish.
However, our "self" doesn't open and it lacks some grounds, therefore it has some problems too, and to say each time "this decision or choice is mine" isn't so obvious as in the case with selfish ethics.
Briefly, if our organisms (or physiological stuff) = us, and there's nothing beyond us that's not tied up with the organisms, then it'd be logically to imagine, that each element of ours does its own function, i.e. it accomplish its properties, and, hence, it's leaning to existing. So, in general we want to live, to procreate, etc., and these all is the personal wish, a selfish one.
However, our "self" doesn't open and it lacks some grounds, therefore it has some problems too, and to say each time "this decision or choice is mine" isn't so obvious as in the case with selfish ethics.
Briefly, if our organisms (or physiological stuff) = us, and there's nothing beyond us that's not tied up with the organisms, then it'd be logically to imagine, that each element of ours does its own function, i.e. it accomplish its properties, and, hence, it's leaning to existing. So, in general we want to live, to procreate, etc., and these all is the personal wish, a selfish one.