Master and Slave Society.

[dib8rman]

Kirameo said:

SamuelRSmith said:

Galaki said:

IMO. It's the culture that's partly at fault.

You're taught from early on. It's all about me, myself and I.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, though... the beauty of our system is that everybody benefits from those working in the self interest. The farmers who grew the food that you ate for dinner didn't do it for your benefit, they did it for theirs. It might seem cold, but it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ERbC7JyCfU

I'd argue that farming is most of the time a subsistence activity which revolves around a basic need, which is food. When you go up to superior occupations (in the sense that they are beyond basic needs) such as science (which broadens the spectrum of technologies available) or engineering, there is most of the time an honest desire to contribute to society. Most of the time this is very motivational.

On a personal note, I find that when I think about the possible benefits to the world's society as a whole, I get more motivated because there's transcendence in it. That's why I want to work in scientific research about solar energy, water desalinization and medical bionics. It would be more fulfilling than working purely for my own benefit.

When you help others, you transcend time and space. That's my belief.

Now, that doesn't mean that we should coerce others into doing that. It would be a contradiction...

I think the question is; are human beings necessarily altruistic?

The answer is of course yes, this doesn't in anyway mean that social or cultural demands of altruism are altruistic, though; one only has to look at one culturally accepted act of altruism - the vicarious redemption of Jesus's sacrifice.
Amongst Christians this would be the ultimate act of good but to any rational person human sacrifice in effigy or not is in no way moral. The point here again it that similarly to religion culture and morals are totally divorced I would argue as well social expectations. Most folks have an issue with that syllogism it's the hurdle when talking from either side of the fence about morals.

Acts of human solidarity can be found in the smallest things, skimming into anecdote I'll pull from memory a time around twenty years ago when I pulled a kid from the street just in time to save his head from being chopped off by the corner of a bus. I had nothing to gain from that and my decision was made in a heartbeat. Altruism is an act and doesn't require forethought.