No one seriously considers that altruistic action lacks personal interests for the agent. The altruistic agent acts to obtain emotional rewards. These are of various types, and this debate, unfortunately, doesn’t appear much in this forum; and it should because if we don’t develop the question of altruistic motivation, we will have difficulty in order to increase the number of altruistic agents.
My personal opinion is that the best way to develop altruistic motivation is to consider altruistic action in the context of a lifestyle—a virtue—of zero aggression and one that stimulates impulses of benevolence, empathy, rationality, empathy… We need “saints.” A lifestyle of “saintliness” can be more attractive than mere altruistic action motivated by a deontological sense of duty (à la Kant, à la Seneca) or, worse still, by the feeling of guilt for not doing everything possible to remedy the suffering around us.
And don’t take capitalism seriously. What creates wealth is science and technology, not capitalism.
Now, I understand, personal interest need not necessarily be selfish!! so, every action has a quid pro quo; the gain is either material or emotional. We dont encourage this angle of looking at the motivation, because we need to increase the number of altruistic agents, and saintliness, and being saintly involves self interest.
No one seriously considers that altruistic action lacks personal interests for the agent. The altruistic agent acts to obtain emotional rewards. These are of various types, and this debate, unfortunately, doesn’t appear much in this forum; and it should because if we don’t develop the question of altruistic motivation, we will have difficulty in order to increase the number of altruistic agents.
My personal opinion is that the best way to develop altruistic motivation is to consider altruistic action in the context of a lifestyle—a virtue—of zero aggression and one that stimulates impulses of benevolence, empathy, rationality, empathy… We need “saints.” A lifestyle of “saintliness” can be more attractive than mere altruistic action motivated by a deontological sense of duty (à la Kant, à la Seneca) or, worse still, by the feeling of guilt for not doing everything possible to remedy the suffering around us.
And don’t take capitalism seriously. What creates wealth is science and technology, not capitalism.
Now, I understand, personal interest need not necessarily be selfish!! so, every action has a quid pro quo; the gain is either material or emotional. We dont encourage this angle of looking at the motivation, because we need to increase the number of altruistic agents, and saintliness, and being saintly involves self interest.
Kindly let me know, is this our line of thought?