X-Message-Number: 16992
From: 
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 11:42:57 EDT
Subject: selfishness again

Lee Corbin writes in part:

<< The fact that we have SOME concern for the interests (e.g. feelings)
 of some animals is what is significant.  It is unpersuasive to claim
 that our efforts to treat these animals humanely arises entirely from
 our self interest, unless one starts down the idiotic slope of claiming
 that everything that anyone does is for a selfish reason. >>

I think I'm at least a step higher than idiot--viz. a moron or better--and I 
do claim that every act (if it is motivated, as opposed to accidental or 
automatic) is indeed for a "selfish" reason. And some who are/were definitely 
in the higher echelons agree(d), e.g. Aristotle. 

Of course one can always play with words, but it is both logical and useful 
to recognize the ubiquity of self interest, despite the many problems and 
complications. Any motivated act by definition is related to what you want, 
and if you do it because of what you want, then you are doing it to serve 
yourself--even if some of the consequences are adverse to some of your other 
interests, and even if it helps someone else more than yourself.   

Anyone with a modicum of awareness knows that most people, most of the time, 
do not set their priorities rationally, if indeed they have any explicit 
priorities. This is why philosophy is of life-and-death (not to mention 
bread-and-butter) importance.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org 

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