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What is better than Capitalism?
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Dog 3000
Dog 3000
4611 posts

Re: War
Sep 10, 2003, 22:34
"Yeah I got into a huge strop when i couldn't accept the denial of 'altruism' in my psychology classes."

I vaguely remember a similar class discussion . . . seems to me the psych argument for "altruism" is based on that old "enlightened self interest" again. If I see someone stranded by the roadside with a broken-down auto I will stop to help because I would want someone to help me in a similar situation. But of course a lot of people will just drive past anyway (and I'm not saying I routinely help stranded motorists myself.)

It's not technically a profit-loss calculation because I may never get stranded on the motorway and may never get "paid back" for my good deed. On a larger "evolutionary" level, it's simply a good instinct to help your fellow humans out because it helps the species to survive.

So basically not every "instinct" is a "bad" one.
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