No it's not. Altruism vs. Egoism is an ongoing debate in philosophy with most modern ethicists that I've read giving the nod to Egoism. Tomas Hobbes in the early 17th Century basically said that Altruism doesn't exist.
"For Hobbes, we all participate in a social contract to bring society into existence for the benefits thereof. This is a thoroughly egoistic enterprise. Hobbes would not claim that social protections make altruism possible because altruism is never possible. (Hobbes here on the Golden Rule!). What looks like altruism and benevolence is always, in one way or another, disguised self-interest. When that self-interest breaks into the open, the result is total social war. The fear of such war leads to doing things for others from purely self-interested motives. (The example of the beggar and the clergyman.) This story reduces the problem of the relationship of altruism and egoism to a single issue: if human nature is essentially self-interested and competitive, how can altruism and benevolence be considered virtues?" http://www.siue.edu/~whamric/Hobbes.html Plenty of others have provided varying perspectives on the ebb and flow of apparently altruistic motivations in people, but most generally come down on the side of altruism being a false presumption. I wouldn't call Altruism evil, because I personally don't feel that it even exists. Tim, as someone who served in the military, was willing to die for others but that doesn't mean that it was an altruistic motivation. What I personally find interesting is that while Egosim usually goes hand in hand with Relativism, or at least Utilitarianism, Tim seems comfortable with Universalist principles for society while holding an Egoist stance for himself. (That's not a criticism Tim, just an observation.) -Kevin > -----Original Message----- > From: Dana Tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 10:54 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: US threatens Caribbean Countries > > > I think that speaks for itself. It's right up there with > "let's invade Iraq because they play with goat heads in Pakistan." > > Dana > > Heald, Tim writes: > > > Altruism is evil. > > > > Timothy Heald > > Information Systems Specialist > > Overseas Security Advisory Council > > U.S. Department of State > > 571.345.2235 > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Angel Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 10:20 PM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: RE: US threatens Caribbean Countries > > > > > > *GASP!* > > > > You...you mean the US isn't the altruistic..benevolent world ruler > > that it makes itself out to be? > > > > You mean...you mean if it isn't in the US 'National Interest' then > > nothing will be done regardless of how many innocent people are > > slaughtered or if there is systematic genocide taking place?? > > > > 0_0 > > > > Oh I can feel my little America The Saviour bubble breaking... > > Yesh...yesh I really can... > > > > *Pop* > > > > Oh there...its gone. > > *sigh* > > 0_0 > > Whatever are we going to do??? > > > > -Gel > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Kevin Schmidt [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Dana, > > > > Liberia is in the middle of a civil war. Why should we intervene? > > Should we have intervened in Somalia? I don't think so. I don't > > think we should intervene in Liberia either. > > > > Kevin > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
