Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: August 8, 2026, 11:14 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
My supporting POV on selfishness motivating human moral values
#34
RE: My supporting POV on selfishness motivating human moral values
(July 1, 2015 at 2:54 pm)CapnAwesome Wrote:
(July 1, 2015 at 2:36 pm)smax Wrote: The whole point of the theory and this discussion is to examine the root of moral values. And, it sounds like, as you examine the root of your own actions, you are coming to realize that selfishness (self-interest) is at the root. 

People also associate the word "selfish" as socially negative and as something commonly accepted as an unappealing characteristic. Therefore, in the pursuit of self interest, the word "selfish" is naturally rejected by the self serving individual.

I definitely do not find selfishness at the root of my own actions. Even though I'm a selfish person, most of my actions are done out of boredom, or an effort to combat boredom and my moral values come from a wide myriad of places.  It's not a 'selfish' thing to deal with one's own boredom because there is no selfless alternative. It's not more selfish or selfless to remain bored. Selfishness has nothing to do with it and I think you and the other people who make this argument are just inserting selfish motivations everywhere where there are none. What I am finding more and more is that you've expanded the definition of selfishness to the point of ridiculousness. If Squashing a spider, not squashing a spider, eating a dog and not eating a dog are all selfish actions than it's a pointless definition that can be used on anything. NOT that everything is selfish.

Your problem is, you want to simplify the matter and say "Either eating a dog is selfish or having one as a pet is. NOT BOTH!!!". 

The reality is, both actions are clearly motivated by self interest. Until you understand that, I doubt there is any chance of you understanding the concept of selfishness being at the root of moral values.
[Image: earthp.jpg]
Reply



Messages In This Thread
RE: My supporting POV on selfishness motivating human moral values - by smax - July 1, 2015 at 3:16 pm

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  How Can We Have Moral Direction If God Controls Everything? Rhondazvous 87 23615 August 22, 2021 at 10:23 am
Last Post: brewer
  Right of freedom of religion should not be a human right Macoleco 19 4921 May 26, 2021 at 1:10 am
Last Post: Belacqua
  The purpose of human life is probably to create "Artificial General Intelligence" uncool 45 17972 February 1, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Last Post: polymath257
  Muslims drink human feces. WinterHold 25 11012 September 21, 2017 at 1:46 am
Last Post: vorlon13
Exclamation Here is Practical Explanation about Next Life, Purpose of Human Life, vaahaa 19 6293 September 18, 2017 at 1:46 pm
Last Post: Cyberman
  Why is religion in the business of moral policing? NuclearEnergy 85 31642 August 13, 2017 at 2:51 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Watching my cat, thinking about god and human nature Paraselene 68 28260 July 19, 2017 at 12:13 am
Last Post: Astonished
  Do theists need a threat to be moral? brewer 33 8757 June 14, 2016 at 1:43 am
Last Post: robvalue
  Why Isn't Human Society A Paradise? BrianSoddingBoru4 23 11606 February 6, 2016 at 3:42 pm
Last Post: scoobysnack
  Atheists Have the Most Logical Reason for being Moral Rhondazvous 24 11386 January 22, 2016 at 6:49 pm
Last Post: Reforged



Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)