(April 6, 2009 at 6:09 pm)padraic Wrote:Quote:I argue that people are not born with feelings like greed, selfishness, hatred etc.etc
So far you haven't made an argument, just a romantic assertion.
I've never argued that capitalism is fair or moral. I DO claim that it hasn't made people any worse than they already were. Read a bit of history. Every system ever invented is temporary. Imo the greatest obvious weakness of capitalism is its need for exponential growth to survive. OF COURSE it will eventually disappear.It may evolve into something else,such as an international corporate form of government or collapse into anarchy. No one knows. Whatever form it takes will be based on pragmatism,not morality,just like every form of social organisation in history.From a lifetime of observation I've concluded that there are altruistic acts,many times many, but there are no altruistic people. .
My position is philosophical one called "egoism" supported by a lifetime of observing human behaviour. The feelings you mention are imo all survival mechanism,and probably hard wired.
Human beings remain sentient animals.Our most powerful INSTINCT (that means it's involuntary and usually unconscious) remains that of survival.
Please provide argument/evidence for your position,which so far seems based on the emotionalism of the child,who stamps its little foot and screams "it's not FAIR! Until such time, I'm not really interested in your opinion on the matter. ( no offence)
no offence, but read my post again and counter my arguments in a way I can give some serious consideration to.
A man is born to a virgin mother, lives, dies, comes alive again and then disappears into the clouds to become his Dad. How likely is that?
