Reply To: Theological Conundrum (read at your own risk)

Avram:

So you reject the concept of altruism entirely?

Not necessarily. I am rejecting the way you are explaining altruism, because according to you, altruism is just the best benefit. Hence altruism is really benefitism.

How would you know whether it was personal or not if you didn’t know what the value was?

I don’t think that is relevant. If you are doing it for personal benefit, or because you MIGHT get personal benefit, then I don’t see how it is altruistic. If you are not doing it for any personal benefit then what reason is there to do it? (To quote yekke2: “PAA questions what motive somebody would have if not ulterior motives.”)

Smarter is not better than foolish?

Not in terms of good and bad.

Why? An act is typically referred to as selfish when it benefits the actor at the expense of others.

When I say “selfish” I mean being concerned solely with your own gain.