Philosophy 101
Selfish Interest and its Motivation of Moral Action
In the beginning of humankind there were believed to be no moral laws or actions. How did we come to know morality? This issue can be resolved if we are to identify what it means for a creature to survive. With cooperation, individuals can aid in the survival of the other. Survival is a primary instinct of all living things and therefore propels the potential for humankind into moral societies. We are interested in the fulfillment of the common goal, in this case, survival and perpetuation of mankind. For there to be a common goal, there must be an individual goal which may be construed as a selfish prerogative.
Humankind originally may not have possessed morality by standards of modern society. There may have been no motivation to act out of moral duty. Motivation may have begun primarily out of selfish interest. Cooperation to gather food would have reinforced the common goal of survival in harsh......
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Approximate Word Count: 602
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |