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All actions have motivational considerations, but can you describe a truly selfless act that transcends motivation or gain? It's a simple question, but a difficult one to answer I think.
Devoting one's life to the study of physics(?)All actions have motivational considerations, but can you describe a truly selfless act that transcends motivation or gain? It's a simple question, but a difficult one to answer I think.
You answered your own question.doing what duty tells you to do.
Yes because you feel good about yourself for performing the act of charity.panda just to get ur last comment straight. Do you think that giving money to the poor is selfish or not?
It makes you feel good, you might argue that you do this in order to make yourself feel better, thus it's not purely selfless. The only really selfless act is one where no one knows you even did it, say you saved a thousand people and in doing so died in such a way that no one ever found your body and you were pronounced missing, your final whereabouts a complete mystery. And you would have to know that is what would happen. That way no one associated with you knows, and there are no knock on effects. There is obviously no possible gain to you personally, unless you consider dying a gain.panda just to get ur last comment straight. Do you think that giving money to the poor is selfish or not?
Not inspired by Friends, inspired by another thread AAMOF :tongue:Question inspired by the Friends episode? :P
Ahhh, if you are theist then dying to save a thousand souls would be a gain as you would be rewarded in heaven and therfore again there is a selfish factor to the act. I think you can only do something selflessly if you do it instinctively.There is obviously no possible gain to you personally, unless you consider dying a gain.
That's exactly what I wanted to say, too.But in both cases, who could live with himself if he knows that he could have done something but didn't? so even that has a slight selfish act, cause not doing anything for saving someone also has its consequences and no1 ever wishes to live them.
Giving money to the poor is in general selfish, since today every piece of c**p which can afford to do so gives away money to the poor (as if it was a fashion craze) and feels better about itself. If some of them really had to help someone in trouble, they'd be too disgusted to even approach. Giving money away is an 'easy, remote-control-styled way' to help someone.panda just to get ur last comment straight. Do you think that giving money to the poor is selfish or not?
The point is that the term 'selfish' is very elastic in this thread.finally some ppl who feel the same way as i do..human beings are naturally forced to be selfish, but some in a good way, some in better ways then others, some selfish to the extreme
Frankly theists are a rarity around here, but you read the subtext very proficientlyAhhh, if you are theist then dying to save a thousand souls would be a gain as you would be rewarded in heaven and therfore again there is a selfish factor to the act. I think you can only do something selflessly if you do it instinctively.
Of course what drives your instincts if not your mind and personality? it could be an unconcious selfish act, but as that is untestable it is beyond the scope of the post.
I think by act we mean something you have a choice about, I'm pretty sure all babies have no choice about this.Being born.
OK. But do you have a choice about doing what makes you feel good? Is there any other choice?I think by act we mean something you have a choice about, I'm pretty sure all babies have no choice about this.
Naturally we do. Could glue thumb tacks to each of the keys of my keyboard, but that would make me feel bad whilst typing so I'll choose not to, equally I could design a keyboard made out of chocolate that would make be feel good whilst typing, but I'd then get fat(ter) and feel bad so again I'll choose not to.OK. But do you have a choice about doing what makes you feel good? Is there any other choice?
If pain makes you happy then you are going to put yourself in pain. If pain is all you know then that is what you will seek. It is not as cut and dried as you make it out to be.Naturally we do. Could glue thumb tacks to each of the keys of my keyboard, but that would make me feel bad whilst typing so I'll choose not to, equally I could design a keyboard made out of chocolate that would make be feel good whilst typing, but I'd then get fat(ter) and feel bad so again I'll choose not to.
Probably not.All actions have motivational considerations, but can you describe a truly selfless act that transcends motivation or gain?
I tihnk that brings us to the point, is there ever any action that will bring us nothing whatsoever happiness or whatever and has it ever been done? Is not morality tied up to some extent to utilatarianism? What's good for the person or the majority in other cases?Naturally we do. Could glue thumb tacks to each of the keys of my keyboard, but that would make me feel bad whilst typing so I'll choose not to, equally I could design a keyboard made out of chocolate that would make be feel good whilst typing, but I'd then get fat(ter) and feel bad so again I'll choose not to.
Unless you are trying to swing this to an argument about the existence of free will, given the apparent prescence of free will we can choose to make ourselves happy or sad. I think that we will always make choices towards happiness in the long term.