One can imagine the economic sphere of a society based solely or predominantly on the principle of self-interest, even unrestricted self-interest. The interests of others in this sphere will in general be sufficient to put a limit on the extent to which the interests of each market participant will be pursued. In my example below, it is in the interest of Joe to buy the coffee from Francis for 10 cents or even get it for free. It is the self-interest of Francis that makes this outcome unlikely. Ultimately they will strike a bargain in which both benefit from the transaction.
It is much more difficult to imagine the very same principle of unrestricted self-interest applied to other spheres of life, such as the family; say, Francis offering daily lunch to his five-year old daughter on the condition that she pays him 5 euros for each meal. This principle would destroy the family. The prevailing principle must now be that of altruism, giving without expecting anything in return.
The principle of self-interest or egoism comes naturally to human beings and is necessary for their survival. The sentiment of altruism, of regard to others, is much harder to acquire. I believe it was the work of great religions to instill this sentiment on humanity, and Christianity in particular, with its emphasis on brotherly love, has been quite effective at it.
We cannot live on egoism alone and one of the key issues of our time is that, under the banner of personal freedom, the pursuit of unrestricted self-interest or egoism is entering spheres of life where it becomes clearly destructive. One of such spheres is the family. The rise in divorce rates shows that parents are increasingly concerned with their own well being rather than with that of their children. And the defense of legal abortion is clearly an example where egoism, pursued against a defenseless human being, leads directly to murder.
It is much more difficult to imagine the very same principle of unrestricted self-interest applied to other spheres of life, such as the family; say, Francis offering daily lunch to his five-year old daughter on the condition that she pays him 5 euros for each meal. This principle would destroy the family. The prevailing principle must now be that of altruism, giving without expecting anything in return.
The principle of self-interest or egoism comes naturally to human beings and is necessary for their survival. The sentiment of altruism, of regard to others, is much harder to acquire. I believe it was the work of great religions to instill this sentiment on humanity, and Christianity in particular, with its emphasis on brotherly love, has been quite effective at it.
We cannot live on egoism alone and one of the key issues of our time is that, under the banner of personal freedom, the pursuit of unrestricted self-interest or egoism is entering spheres of life where it becomes clearly destructive. One of such spheres is the family. The rise in divorce rates shows that parents are increasingly concerned with their own well being rather than with that of their children. And the defense of legal abortion is clearly an example where egoism, pursued against a defenseless human being, leads directly to murder.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário