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Re: Debate on Altruism. [message #371765 is a reply to message #371463] Thu, 12 February 2009 07:17 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
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cheesesoda wrote on Thu, 12 February 2009 08:28

You can't have empathy without feeling SOMETHING in some form.

1. the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.

If you don't feel guilty about NOT doing something, then it's NOT empathy, and it's NOT altruism. It's, once again, done in self-interest.

Besides, if you don't feel, how in the HELL is that enlightenment? That sounds a lot more like sociopathy.




I've never heard anyone compare it to sociopathy, you made me laugh out loud. But less humoursly, this is not the case.

My motivation in helping people comes from a desire to free people from suffering.

You could argue that because I desire this, then there is in a certain sense a form of ego. There is something in it for me...
My desire has been gratified by my good deed. Which is what I think is your point and what you are trying to argue. Which is most cases is likely to be true.

However, my desire is only to see people freed from suffering, nothing more. That sentence is important to understand. I only wish for all sentient life's freedom from suffering, which is a perfect case and exact example of altruism, infact it is pretty much the definition of it.
Any happiness, or joy I feel from this act is merely a by-product, my real desire is there freedom from suffering; a selfless act. My motivation, my reasoning for doing it, is purely to free them from suffering.

I guess it comes down to if you can believe that someones motivation can be the other persons happiness, and if you feel better for doing this, then this is just a by-product and not the motivation for doing such acts.



 
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