Question for Atheists

[Kromoh]

I don't think your view reflects what neurophysiologically occurs in your brain. You have desire, that is, want for personal gain, and you also have sympathy. Note however, that we are highly capable of abstraction and the idea of personal gain can very easily become an idea of generic gain. You base on the idea that no action can be altruist, and I seriously think you're wrong. It only depends on what's stronger in you: your greed or your sympathy.

[Edwardo Piet]

I consider compassion the desire to alleviate the suffering of others.... and I myself desire that for others and am interested in that for others. So my Altruism is based on self-interest.

What interest isn't self-interest?

And without compassion the sympathy is just empathy.... and so not necessarily positive. Resentful envy could be seen as a negative form of empathy could it not? It's the desire to alleviate the suffering of others (or increase the pleasure of others) that makes the empathy positive, is it not?