HUMA 1000 (L1)

Assignment 3 – Draft Essay

Would you agree that all human actions are ultimately motivated by self-interest? Provide reasons for your agreement/disagreement.

Although few would use the word “selfish”, a word of negative connotation that implies actions done harm the interests of others for the benefit of the doer, to describe the whole human race, some believe all rational human actions are ultimately motivated by “self-interest”, a more neutral word that implies actions done are motivated by the doer’s desire, but may or may not cause harm to others. Others, however, argue that some acts such as altruism, or otherwise called “selfless actions”, serve as evidence that counters the view. This essay will argue that all human actions are ultimately motivated by self-interest. By examining human actions as either (1) acts for self, (2) altruistic acts that also benefit the doer or (3) altruistic acts that do not, it will argue that all of the above actions are ultimately initiated by self-interest.

["apparent fact" sounds like an oxymoron; "clear fact" is better]

It is widely accepted that many human actions are done to benefit the doer. Every day, people work for food and shelter. They entertain themselves with occasional trips to theme parks or the cinema. In desperate circumstances, some may even commit theft or murder. All these are actions intended to be self-beneficial. It is not necessarily evil to be self-interested. Any rational person would be motivated to carry out such acts to satisfy their biological needs, and ultimately, survive. The urge to do so is pre-programmed and is what prevents the human race from becoming distinct extinct. According to the theory of Evolution, if a tribe contains both “selfish” and “altruistic” individuals, “selfish” individuals will do better in surviving (Darwin, 1871). Apart from biological needs, some acts that seem to benefit others are primarily out of self-interest. For example, companies sponsor charities and make donations for public relations benefits, establishing goodwill or for tax purposes. Wealthy people donate money to universities and in turn get libraries and building renamed after them, partly out of their feeling of self-importance, signaling their influence or leaving a form of legacy. Altruism is certainly not the only rationale as some benefactors negotiate their donations conditional on such naming rights. Some people perform charity or volunteer work due to religious beliefs, making a commitment to what they believe God expects of them. In Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, what Scrooge did in the end to help people around him does not seem to be purely altruistic, but rather, is out of fear that he would suffer eternal damnation. All these break down into one ultimate motivation: interest of self.

Just like the selfish acts that benefit that doer, acts of altruism can be viewed as initiated by self-interest. Altruism, acts that bring no apparent benefit or even bring harm to the doer, on the surface do not seem to be initiated by self-interest. However, in many cases, these “selfless acts” can be traced back to self-interest, with intentions to make the doer “feel better”. According to Thomas Hobbes, charity is a demonstration of one’s powers, and is done as it gives the doer delight – a feeling of superiority. Another motivation of altruism is empathy, the ability to understand the feeling of others because you can imagine being in the situation of others. This feeling is also addressed by Hobbes, using the word “pity” instead. “Pity is the imagination or fiction of future calamity to ourselves, proceeding from the sense of another man’s present calamity… For the evil that happen to innocent man, may happen to every man (Hobbes, 1640).” In this case, you believe you should help the person in need because you believe you would also desire the help if you are in the unfortunate person’s situation. For example, if a person gives money to a beggar on the street, it is likely because you wish to “feel good” about the fact that you are superior and more fortunate than the beggar, or that you put yourself in the shoes of the beggar and believe that you would want the help if you were in the same situation. Either way, the act can be regarded to be motivated by self-interest. Similarly, giving to the beggar might avoid feelings of guilt or shame which might arise from not giving, which also make this act based on self-interest.

Some argue that there are still cases in which altruistic acts that do not benefit the doer whatsoever. Take the Sichuan Earthquake as an example. A teacher reportedly sacrificed his life to save 15 students in his class. Clearly, this kind of altruism is not meant just to make the doer “feel better”. Indeed, some altruism does not bring the doer any physical or psychological benefits at all. Yet, we cannot conclude that this kind of altruism has nothing to do with self-interest. To begin with, we should first consider how these acts are initiated. These altruistic acts are perhaps done out of habit or ingrained values. Parents are likely to teach their children what is right and moral and what is not. Children, on the other hand, would usually try to satisfy their parents or teachers by doing and believing what they are told as correct, and hence be rewarded or avoid punishment. As they grow up, the words of their parents and teachers become their values and the their actions, which may appear to be altruistic deeds, become habits. Thus, in certain circumstances, they would feel the urge to carry out such actions automatically. A good metaphor further demonstrates this view: Imagine a dog is being taught to sit and is given a biscuit if it does so. After repeating the task, the dog would sit down when told even if no biscuit is presented, as the action has become a habit. Acts that appear purely altruistic can be traced back to conditioned reaction or ingrained moral teachings of doing the right thing. The Sichuan teacher, like police officers, soldiers and other guardians, will "do the right thing" even if it kills them.

To conclude, human actions can be divided into three kinds. Actions that are done to benefit the doer are apparent examples of self-interest motivated actions; altruistic acts done to give the doer a sense of superiority or done out of empathy, which, in the end, makes the doer feel better; and altruistic acts that do not benefit the doer at the time performed, but has become a habit, which was previously initiated by self-interest. Human action is ultimately initiated by self-interest. Yet, this does not imply that all human actions are decidedly selfish. Motivation by self-interest is what makes human actions rational, and is what gives the human race a better chance to make it through life that is, according to Hobbes, short and brutish.