How to know if you're being selfish (and whether or not that's bad) - Mark Hopwood

Summary

The script explores the philosophical debate on human selfishness, contrasting psychological egoism with evidence of altruism. Philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are cited to discuss the balance between self-love and selflessness. Iris Murdoch's perspective on love and attention as antidotes to selfishness is highlighted, suggesting that genuine love involves recognizing the reality of others beyond self-interest, achieved through practices that expand our focus beyond the self.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The script discusses the philosophical debate on whether humans are inherently selfish, touching on psychological egoism and altruistic behavior.
• 👤 John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism suggests striving for the greatest happiness for the most people, implying a focus on collective welfare over individual desires.
• 🏛 Aristotle emphasizes virtues like generosity and justice, suggesting that moral behavior is essential for societal harmony.
• 🤔 Thomas Hobbes' perspective highlights the inherent selfishness of humans, where voluntary acts are aimed at one's own good.
• 👶 Psychological studies show that even young children exhibit helpful behavior without personal gain, contradicting the concept of pure self-interest.
• 🇩🇪 Immanuel Kant's view questions the true motives behind altruistic acts, suggesting that self-love might be a hidden motivator.
• 🇫🇷 Jean-Jacques Rousseau differentiates between 'Amour de soi', a natural self-preservation, and 'amour propre', a harmful desire for social status.
• 🤝 Aristotle also argues that humans are social beings who can only thrive by seeking the good of others alongside their own.
• 💡 Overcoming selfishness is a central theme, with philosophers suggesting moral duty, emotions like pity and sympathy, and love as potential solutions.
• 📚 Iris Murdoch introduces the concept of 'attention' inspired by Buddhist meditation, as a means to transcend self-focus and truly see others.
• 🌍 Murdoch's definition of love involves recognizing the reality of others, which requires conscious effort and practice to cultivate.

Q & A

What is the moral conundrum presented in the script?

The moral conundrum is whether to take the last cupcake for oneself at a friend's party, despite the philosophical advice suggesting otherwise.

What does John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism suggest one should do?

John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism suggests that one should always strive to bring about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.

What does Aristotle emphasize regarding human behavior?

Aristotle emphasizes the importance of virtues such as generosity and justice in human behavior.

What is the essence of Thomas Hobbes' viewpoint on human nature?

Thomas Hobbes suggests that human beings are inherently selfish, as the object of all voluntary acts is each person's own good.

What is psychological egoism?

Psychological egoism is the idea that humans only act out of self-interest.

What does Immanuel Kant say about the possibility of self-love influencing our actions?

Immanuel Kant notes that even when we seem to act for the sake of others, it's impossible to be sure we're not truly motivated by a secret impulse of self-love.

What are the two kinds of self-love identified by Jean-Jacques Rousseau?

Rousseau identified 'Amour de soi,' our basic need for self-preservation, as natural and essential, and 'amour propre,' our toxic desire for recognition and social status, as the cause of many unjust disparities.

How does Aristotle view the relationship between self-love and the good of others?

Aristotle argues that humans are social beings who can only flourish when seeking the good of others as well as themselves, implying that true self-love requires us to work against our selfish tendencies.

What does Iris Murdoch believe is the only true solution to human selfishness?

Iris Murdoch believes that the only true solution to human selfishness is a certain kind of love, which involves seeing the world in a way that does not cast oneself as the star and others as secondary characters.

What is the concept of 'attention' as described by Iris Murdoch?

Murdoch's concept of 'attention' is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real, which can be cultivated through practices that direct one's attention beyond the self.

How does Murdoch suggest we can overcome our selfish tendencies?

Murdoch suggests that we can overcome our selfish tendencies by practicing attention, which involves engaging with art, learning foreign languages, or observing the natural environment to see the world as it truly is.

What are some of the ways philosophers have proposed to rise above self-interest?

Some philosophers, like Kant, argue that our sense of moral duty helps us rise above self-interest, while others, like Rousseau and Adam Smith, believe that emotions like pity and sympathy allow us to consider the needs of others.