Psychological egoism is the idea that humans are incapable of being unselfish. Even when we do something for the good of others, there is still selfish motive behind it no matter what. For example, if i volunteer with my church group to make blankets for the homeless, that act in itself seems unselfish. However, my religious beliefs associated with that group claim i will go to heaven doing good deeds such as this. So while it feels good to help the homeless, the reason it feels good is entirely selfish because it will hypothetically help me on my path to heaven.
On days that I feel pessimistic, I would probably agree with this theory. However, today i must disagree. I believe there are definitely completely selfless people out there. I know I've done things for others selflessly. In fact, last weekend my mom went out of town for a few days, and I went by her house twice a day to water the flowers, check the mail, let the dogs out, etc. I didn't necessarily want to drive all the way to my mom's twice a day for three days, but i knew she needed my help, so i did it. We don't always do things for others because it is what we desire more, and that in itself is unselfish.
No comments:
Post a Comment