Selfishness as Virtue

[Andy]

[sandmann]

I understand that these are conditioned behaviors. My point is that I don't see how you can call these conditioned behaviors selfish. I also know that you don't think all the way through something when you do it (I think I even said as much), and that's part of my point: if you don't reason through a decision, (1) how can you even determine someone's motivation for doing something, and (2) even if you could, how could you just assume that their intent is a selfish one?

Although I do agree that I've done a very poor job articulating my argument thus far.

[Brig]

If your conditioned behaviors form as a result of selfishness, then the acts that result from those behaviors are rooted in selfishness. Look at infants, they are supremely selfish.

[sandmann]

Yes but infants lack higher faculties which I would argue are the source of selfless acts. I think that the only possible selfless acts ARE conditioned over time and DO result from an ability to reason on a higher plane. You can't act on abstractions of what is "right" without being able to reason abstractly.

[Brig]

[sandmann]

[Maf54]

[sandmann]

[Maf54]

[Brig]

[sandmann]

[Maf54]

[Brig]

[sandmann]

Yeah, it's the argument that's more important than the outcome, but I'm just not getting that "my opponent is such a fucking idiot, doesn't he know I'm always right? maybe I should insult him a few times..." kinda vibe that I like in arguments normally, so unless something else peaks my interest, I'll put to rest this line of discussion. But please, someone else step in. Maybe I'll find something to attack in what you say.

[James S]

And this is why I have yet to read Ayn Rand ... and do not intend to.