i'd have thought that perhaps doing right should be a subconscious thing - something that we do instinctively, as well as making decisions towards, instead of being something we have to actively focus on.
Perhaps that would be true if one was in perfect isolation. Within a societal framework, it's pretty darn easy for one's ideas of how to do right to become (through others' influence) hollow and lifeless, and perhaps even easier to forget all about them and instead commit oneself only to selfish motives.
hm, perhaps... but i'm of the opinion that every action we take is selfish at a base level, regardless of whether it's beneficial to others. depends on where you stand, i suppose.
Primary focus? ... you shouldn't have to think about it. In the same way as most people these days act in a selfish manner without any real planning we should be able to act unselfishly.
We are in fact a social animal. Morals and compassion are an evolved social traight. Have we evolved away from that?
The longer I've lived the more apparent it is that the majority of people don't have the mental ability to realise that the way we live our lives is unsustainable, harmful to others and generally "fucked up".
So many people simply believe what the meda tells them, consume what the corporations tell them to consume and just keep doing whatever is seen to be the thing (like driving 4 wheel drive vehicles).
Perhaps, in an ideal world, you shouldn't have to think about it. But in this one, it's imperative, no?
Perhaps if we had larger social groups, we would need to think about it less; but I don't think that we can escape entirely the need for discourse on what is tolerable behaviour and what is scummy - and thinking is (at least, it should be) a prerequisite for discussing.
As for morals and compassion being evolved social traits, if you mean biologically entrenched within us, I don't think so - the world we live in is disproof of such a concept. If you mean morals and compassion have been eked out by philosophical thought over time, then what's the difference with that and what I proposed?
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but i'm of the opinion that every action we take is selfish at a base level, regardless of whether it's beneficial to others. depends on where you stand, i suppose.
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We are in fact a social animal. Morals and compassion are an evolved social traight. Have we evolved away from that?
The longer I've lived the more apparent it is that the majority of people don't have the mental ability to realise that the way we live our lives is unsustainable, harmful to others and generally "fucked up".
So many people simply believe what the meda tells them, consume what the corporations tell them to consume and just keep doing whatever is seen to be the thing (like driving 4 wheel drive vehicles).
It's all very sad.
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Perhaps if we had larger social groups, we would need to think about it less; but I don't think that we can escape entirely the need for discourse on what is tolerable behaviour and what is scummy - and thinking is (at least, it should be) a prerequisite for discussing.
As for morals and compassion being evolved social traits, if you mean biologically entrenched within us, I don't think so - the world we live in is disproof of such a concept. If you mean morals and compassion have been eked out by philosophical thought over time, then what's the difference with that and what I proposed?
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