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.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Philosophical Dilemma: Selfishness and Altruism

This paragraph explores the philosophical debate on whether humans are inherently selfish. It introduces the concept of psychological egoism, which posits that all actions are motivated by self-interest, and acknowledges that while few philosophers fully endorse this view, there is evidence of self-sacrifice and altruistic behavior, even among young children. The paragraph also delves into the nuances of self-love, distinguishing between Rousseau's 'Amour de soi' (self-preservation) and 'amour propre' (desire for recognition), and Aristotle's view of humans as social beings who flourish by seeking the good of others. It suggests that overcoming selfishness is a moral challenge, with philosophers like Kant advocating moral duty and others like Smith emphasizing the role of emotions like pity and sympathy. Iris Murdoch introduces the idea that love, or a certain kind of love, is the key to overcoming selfishness, using the example of a discontented mother-in-law to illustrate the point.

05:01

🌱 Cultivating Attention to Overcome Selfishness

The second paragraph focuses on Iris Murdoch's solution to human selfishness, which is the cultivation of 'attention'. Inspired by Buddhist meditation, Murdoch suggests that engaging with art, learning new languages, or observing nature can help individuals direct their focus beyond themselves. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of this practice in learning to see the world as it truly is, thereby overcoming the selfish tendencies that Murdoch identifies as a fundamental issue. Attention, in Murdoch's view, is a means to achieve a difficult realization that something other than oneself is real, which is a critical step in personal growth and moral development.

Keywords

💡Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that posits the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or pleasure. In the video, John Stuart Mill, a prominent utilitarian philosopher, is mentioned as advocating for actions that bring about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. This concept is central to the moral dilemma presented in the video, suggesting that one should consider the collective good over personal desires.

💡Virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics is a moral philosophy that emphasizes character and virtues as the key element of ethical thinking. Aristotle, referenced in the video, is a key figure in this tradition, highlighting virtues such as generosity and justice. The video uses virtue ethics to contrast with psychological egoism, suggesting that moral character and the well-being of others are important considerations in ethical decision-making.

💡Psychological Egoism

Psychological egoism is the idea that humans act solely out of self-interest. The video mentions this concept to explore the nature of human motivation, noting that while few philosophers endorse this extreme view, it does raise questions about the authenticity of altruistic actions. The script uses psychological egoism to challenge the idea that people can act selflessly.

💡Selfishness

Selfishness refers to the tendency to prioritize one's own interests over the interests of others. The video discusses this trait in the context of human nature and moral philosophy. It uses the metaphor of taking the last cupcake to illustrate the dilemma of selfishness and explores various philosophical perspectives on how and why humans might overcome this tendency.

💡Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant was an influential German philosopher known for his deontological ethics. The video references Kant's view that even when actions appear altruistic, they may be driven by 'a secret impulse of self-love.' This concept is used to question the purity of motives behind seemingly selfless acts, such as charitable donations.

💡Amour de Soi and Amour Propre

These terms, introduced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, differentiate between two types of self-love. 'Amour de soi' is the natural and essential self-preservation instinct, while 'amour propre' is the problematic desire for recognition and social status. The video uses these concepts to discuss the balance between healthy self-interest and the more destructive forms of selfishness.

💡Social Beings

The concept of humans as social beings is central to the video's discussion on ethics and self-interest. It suggests that humans thrive when they consider the well-being of others alongside their own. This idea is supported by Aristotle, who argued that seeking the good of others is essential for human flourishing, and it is used to argue against the notion of inherent selfishness.

💡Moral Duty

Moral duty refers to the sense of obligation to act in ways that are ethically right, regardless of personal gain. The video mentions Kant's belief that moral duty can help individuals rise above their self-interest. This concept is key to understanding how individuals might choose to act for the greater good rather than for personal benefit.

💡Pity and Sympathy

Pity and sympathy are emotions that enable individuals to relate to and consider the suffering or needs of others. The video cites Rousseau and Adam Smith as philosophers who believe these emotions are crucial for overcoming selfishness. They suggest that empathy can motivate people to act altruistically.

💡Iris Murdoch

Iris Murdoch was a 20th-century philosopher and novelist who believed that love, in a certain form, was the solution to human selfishness. The video discusses Murdoch's view that selfishness is about self-centeredness and that true love involves recognizing the reality of others. She uses the story of a discontented mother-in-law to illustrate how love can lead to a more accurate and less selfish perception of others.

💡Attention

In the context of the video, attention refers to the practice of focusing one's awareness on something other than oneself. Murdoch believes that cultivating attention, inspired by Buddhist meditation, can help individuals overcome selfishness by directing their focus beyond their own interests. The video suggests that this practice, which could involve engaging with art or observing nature, is essential for seeing the world as it truly is.

Highlights

John Stuart Mill's utilitarianism suggests striving for the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Aristotle emphasizes virtues of generosity and justice.

Thomas Hobbes argues that all voluntary acts aim at one's own good, implying inherent selfishness.

Psychological egoism posits that humans only act out of self-interest, a stance not widely endorsed.

Evidence and studies show humans often sacrifice self-interest for others.

Even young children demonstrate helpful behavior without personal gain.

Many philosophers agree humans have a deep selfish streak.

Immanuel Kant suggests hidden self-love may motivate seemingly altruistic acts.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau differentiates between natural self-preservation and toxic social status desire.

Aristotle argues that seeking the good of others is essential for human flourishing.

True self-love may require overcoming selfish tendencies.

Kant believes moral duty helps rise above narrow self-interest.

Rousseau and Adam Smith suggest emotions like pity and sympathy allow consideration of others' needs.

Iris Murdoch sees love as the solution to human selfishness.

Murdoch defines love as the realization that something other than oneself is real.

Attention, inspired by Buddhist meditation, is a practice to direct focus beyond the self.

Cultivating attention through various activities can help us see the world as it truly is.

Transcripts

In the kitchen at a friend's party,

you're in the midst of a profound moral conundrum.

Famous philosophers whisper advice in your ear.

Utilitarian John Stuart Mill tells you that one should always strive

to bring about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.

Aristotle reminds you of the importance of the virtues of generosity and justice.

But Thomas Hobbes points out that

"of all voluntary acts, the object is to every man his own good."

In other words, human beings are inherently selfish anyway.

So why shouldn't you take the last cupcake for yourself?

This is actually one of philosophy's oldest questions.

Not your cupcake dilemma—

the question of whether or not human beings are inherently selfish.

The idea that humans only act out of self-interest

is known as psychological egoism,

and there aren't many philosophers who endorse this extreme stance.

There's simply too much evidence of humans sacrificing their self-interest,

and sometimes their very lives, for the sake of others.

And studies by psychologists have shown that even very young children

demonstrate helpful behavior despite there being nothing in it for themselves.

However, the idea that all humans have a deep selfish streak

is something many more philosophers would agree with.

German philosopher Immanuel Kant noted that while we often 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."

For example, maybe when people make large donations to charity,

they're actually more interested in looking good

or benefiting from tax breaks than helping others.

It's worth noting that not all philosophers think self-love

is always a bad thing.

French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau identified two kinds of self-love.

He believed "Amour de soi," our basic need for self-preservation,

is natural and essential.

But he identified "amour propre,"

our toxic desire for recognition and social status,

as the cause of many unjust disparities.

In a similar vein, Aristotle argued that humans are social beings

who can only flourish when we seek the good of others as well as ourselves.

By this logic, true self-love requires us to work against our selfish tendencies.

For many philosophers, this is where the real problem lies—

how do we overcome our selfishness?

Some, like Kant, have argued that our sense of moral duty

is what helps us rise above our narrow self-interest.

Others, like Rousseau and Adam Smith,

contend that emotions like pity and sympathy

are what allow us to consider the needs of others.

But 20th century philosopher-novelist Iris Murdoch

believed the only true solution to human selfishness was love.

Or at least, a certain kind of love.

For Murdoch, selfishness isn't about trivial things

like taking the last cupcake.

It's about seeing the world in a way that casts yourself as a star,

and everyone else as secondary characters.

To explain this, Murdoch tells the story of a discontented mother-in-law.

While the mother is always polite,

she secretly feels her son made a mistake marrying his "vulgar"

and "tiresomely juvenile" wife.

To Murdoch, this mother is the picture of selfishness.

By centering her own jealousy and insecurity,

she's reducing the nuanced reality of her daughter-in-law to a caricature.

But with some conscious effort,

Murdoch believes the mother can learn to see her daughter in law as she truly is—

not vulgar or juvenile,

but refreshingly straightforward and delightfully youthful.

To be clear, this doesn't mean

the mother should simply don rose-colored glasses.

Love, as Murdoch defines it, is "the extremely difficult realization

that something other than oneself is real."

As challenging as this might be,

Murdoch believes we can all reach this realization

by cultivating what she calls attention.

Partially inspired by Buddhist meditation,

this practice could include engaging with art, learning foreign languages,

or simply taking the time to observe the natural environment.

What's important for Murdoch is that the behavior

helps direct your attention beyond the self.

Because only by practicing our ability to attend to the world around us

can we learn to see it as it truly is.