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@binsrc altruism is an illusion, it doesnt exist. Altruism is just what wer call selfishness done expertly.
@freemo at some level it must exist, civilization prides itself (and manipulates others based) on its altruistic aspects. It seems very important to peoples self-image. There are altruistic acts, taking down a gunman, running in front of a car to save an unknown child... acts that occur spontaneously.
@binsrc none of those acts are altruistic. You do it for many reasons such as to avoid guild, the happiness and pleasure from doing the good deed, and the praise and honor you receive from the community in doing so.
Altruism is simply an illusion, something we tell ourselves because it feels good.
@freemo Comte employed the term to denote the benevolent instincts and emotions in general, or action prompted by them: the opposite of egoism.
Is ego also an illusion?
@binsrc depends, your sense of self-importance may be an illusion, but the fact that you expiernce it is very real all the same.
@freemo yes I think altruism is a form of selfishness but can a persons desire for equality for other {race/gender/subdivision} be altruistic?
@binsrc Nothing can be altruistic, you wouldn't want it if it was :)
The problem is that people assume selfishness means bad. In fact selfishness can be bad or good and usually when we see positive selfishness we just call it altruism even though its not. Its more about our bias with words than anything.
@freemo if an individual spontaneously acts by putting themself in deaths way to save other individuals very immediately. (And dies)
There is no time for ego. There was an innate response at play. What is that? It’s not ego.
@binsrc its still ego, it is just reflexive. Our subconscious is capable of responding quickly and in line with our wishes.
In fact if the argument is truly "they had no time to think" then it isnt altruistic anymore than it is selfish, since they didnt reason about it either way.
*sniff sniff* I smell a meaningless definition and I must bark!
What selfishness do you see in an anonymous donation?
If your definition of selfishness is equivalent to motivation are you not just wasting a word?
I could just as well argue that the world is my perception and as long as I'm unconscious nothing exist. You can't disprove that, but you shouldn't even try because the whole idea is useless.
The selfishness in an anonymous donation would be the feelings of pleasure, self-rightousness, avoison of guilt, and quite often even the abiity to either brag about it or see yourself as superior to others.
Some of these apply more to some people than others. But a truly selfless act would be one that brings no pleasure, and if it brought no pleasure people wouldnt do it.
@freemo
Exactly how are you going to brag about an anonymous donation? That wouldn't be an anonymous donation anymore, or at least not what I meant under anonymous donation.
I'm not sure what self righteousness is, and evasion of guilt is made up backstory in this case, which is beside the point.
And the notion of pleasure is too vague. How is it meaningful to group a person who sees pleasure only in helping others, with another who only sees it in their own body?
@binsrc