Camille :
i don’t disagree that people often act in their own self interest,the problem is the assumption that morality is solely determined by self interest. if every act that benefits the person performing it, is labeled “selfish,” then the term loses its ability to distinguish different kinds of actions. for example jst taking care of yourself or donating to charity, comforting s1, or manipulating someone for money would all be denoted to selfishness because you gained something. that explanation of actions becomes so broad that it eliminates nuance. it’s important to note that moral actions are inherently relational. helping someone cannot occur without another person actually benefiting. if i buy a homeless person food, there are 2 main outcomes, they receive food, and i may feel good that i helped someone. the fact that i experienced satisfaction for that act obviously does not erase their independent benefir. the idea of doing a good act relies on another person’s wellbeing, which means their benefit is part of the reason why we help others, not just an act for pleasure. imo the cynical interpretation of actions reduce acts that involve one’s benefit and one’s satisfaction from aiding others, as purely selfish. those are not the same thing. human motivations are frequently mixed. i can genuinely care about another person while also feeling fulfilled by helping them (no brainer 😭) these motives can coexist without contradicting each other. self interest obviously does involve most actions but the idea that self interest alone is capable of explaining moral behavior is, imo, wrong.
2026-07-08 00:14:51