Moral Actions Based on Selfish Grounds
My last post read:
“…[T]he pursuit of happiness also guides our actions of what not to do: do not kill, do not cheat, do not lie, etc. All of these actions can be defended on selfish grounds. I hope to cover how.”
There are beliefs and arguments that such actions as killing, stealing, and lying are only restricted based on “moral” principles that somehow overcome the self; that is, such actions are selfish and benefit the individual. Since I have previously argued and currently maintain that all actions are essentially selfish, I will not argue the first point. The claim that “such actions benefit the individual,” however, is a claim that depends upon factors outside of an individual’s mindset or motivations. This can be seen in any scenario where someone is convinced that some mean will attain some end that is entirely unrelated. What are the benefits of such actions? To name a few: ridding the world of someone you’d prefer not to exist, attaining goods without the nuisance of earning them, and convincing a relevant someone that reality is a different than its actuality.
The cons?
The cons largely depend upon what society you commit these actions within (since such actions are generally heavily frowned upon). Taken in the extreme, perhaps for some ideal, situation that there would be no social consequence, these actions still have negative consequences for the individual. These include: constantly attempting to maintain one’s lies, not attaining the comfort and happiness attributed to earning things desired, and living within a society where murder, theft, and deceit are permissible/ easily achievable. This does not end the debate, but I think the idea that morality can be structured for the sake of the individual is often overlooked.
Ah yes, the topic of countless tales and stories. The tragic-hero, the anti-hero, the seeker of revenge, and others are all used to explore this idea. When is an immoral action permissible and unselfish? Divine right and patriotism have, throughout history and fiction, been an example of how such evils as murder may be heroic. There is a show on television called Burn Notice that portrays the life of an ex-spy for the U.S. One of protagonist’s main internal struggles is that fact that his job required him to do bad things for the right reasons. The Count of Monte Christo is a movie where a man is stripped of his life and imprisoned. His revenge includes the arrest or murder of his conspirators. Of course his revenge is selfish yet the movie returns to the quote “God will give me justice” and from this Edmund draws his inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI realize these are examples of fiction, but isn’t reality more strange and complex anyway? I believe it is more difficult to commit an act of immorality if your intentions are for good. A person with good intentions will likely feel guilt for their crime. Selfishness can hide this guilt if the desired effect is accomplished. Therefore finding a reason to kill or steal for the purposes of good just doesn’t appear as easily as one for evil. It is also instinct to act for oneself rather than for another. I think the topic of selfless crime is as related to fighting natural instinct as selfish crime is to personal gain. I guess I am agreeing with you, just merely complicating the situation.