It's very easy to make a statement like that, but would you care to offer an actual argument? — MonfortS26
We are mostly human culture.
I don't think it is possible to distill what is human nature as it is so far subsumed by cultural logic, endemic assumptions, and normative imperatives. — charleton
I mean yeah I agree that humans are social animals. What do you mean by a generalized survival instinct though? I think all of our traits can be traced back to the concept of survival and I don't really see the difference between that and what someone could call a survival instinct. And I agree we don't help our family and friends so they will help us later, but it is likely that we evolved to like them because we have something to gain from them. — MonfortS26
Sociality is one of our evolutionarily developed strategies for survival. If that's all you mean, no argument. — T Clark
The Münchhausen trilemma has been on my mind lately so the concept of survival has come up a lot, but I think understanding the survival aspect behind my behavior helps to ground my thoughts and give them structure — MonfortS26
There's an incentive to do evil, and there's often an incentive to not do good. The comparison is invalid. Most people do not do evil, even though there're incentives. Most people do not do huge amounts of good either, but that can be explained with incentives to not to. — BlueBanana
In short, I think the positive/negative distinction in morality is true and useful. — TheMadFool
As I said above a moral truth leads to positive (obligatory) deeds and negative (forbidden) actions. — TheMadFool
Has a nice ring to it. Rolls off the tongue. — T Clark
Sociobiology has never made much sense to me. I certainly don't have any credentials to have strong opinions. — T Clark
Exactly. We are motivated by incentives rather than by moral considerations. Don't you find that immoral? — TheMadFool
Is the incentive to be altruistic immoral? — MonfortS26
Most people do not do evil, even though there're incentives.
— BlueBanana
Exactly. We are motivated by incentives rather than by moral considerations. — TheMadFool
Yes and No. Yes because there's something to gain from being altruistic and you can't deny that. No, because it's impossible to do anything without the prospect of gain. — TheMadFool
What, no. It's exactly the opposite. If we do things that contradict incentives that means we're not motivated by incentives, which here means that we're more motivated by morality. — BlueBanana
Motivation and incentive are effectively synonyms. — MonfortS26
What is the source of this internal motivation then? — MonfortS26
I don't see any valuable distinguishment between those two words. — MonfortS26
What makes personal gain immoral? — MonfortS26
Let's take the perfect state of goodness, altruism. Even the best altruist gains something from being good. You can't deny that the altruist is happy to be one. So, in actuality, altruism is not what it's defined to be - selflessness. — TheMadFool
You can't deny that the altruist is happy to be one. — TheMadFool
Can't I? I'll call this self-destructive altruism: altruistic behaviour with negative effect to one's happiness and/or well-being. — BlueBanana
How is altruism the perfect state of goodness? I agree that it is itself, selfish. I just don't understand how it is perfect goodness — MonfortS26
So, doesn't that mean that people are inherently bad? — TheMadFool
There can be no such thing. You know it. — TheMadFool
Can't I? I'll call this self-destructive altruism: altruistic behaviour with negative effect to one's happiness and/or well-being. — BlueBanana
You haven't answered my point about us being more motivated by our inner moral codes than by external incentives set by, for example, society. — BlueBanana
What then is an example of perfect goodness? — TheMadFool
Yes there can, and no I don't. Are you claiming slef-destructive behaviour in general doesn't exist? — BlueBanana
Yes there can, and no I don't. Are you claiming slef-destructive behaviour in general doesn't exist? — BlueBanana
There isn't one, but the closest you can come to 'perfect goodness' is dedicating every action to the most productive ways of increasing the net happiness of humanity. — MonfortS26
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