All-Genre Group Forum Idealism and Philosophy

Discuss this excerpt:

Selfishness is not a sin--it's a philosophy that allowed humanity to survive this far. Once we start caring for others, our lives, as we know it, will start to crumble and fall apart. Once we stop taking from others, everything will be over.

-Gershon Nuqui

I disagree. Humans are social animals, generally speaking. That's why, all throughout our history we have formed communities and civilisations, instead of living solitary lives. A lone human being is easily killed by other, stronger animals, illness, injury, starvation, etc. A city (built by many humans working together) is far less susceptible to these threats. Traditionally, humans have specialised in one aspect of living (food production, manufacturing, medicine, etc) and use this to benefit many other humans besides themselves. For example, a farmer with a healthy herd of cows may never go hungry, but if he breaks a tool, he needs to buy one from someone else. Someone like a blacksmith, who could not survive on his own (you can't eat an anvil, after all), but on whom the farmer depends. Therefore it is mutually beneficial for both men to be selfless. And so I disagree that it is selfishness that has kept us alive for so long, I think it's mutual support and co-operation that allows us to thrive.

What your saying is still selfishness. We give others what they want only because they have what we need. From what you've said, the only reason we form societies is because we need each other. They have what others don't. It's because it benefits those individuals who are in that society. We formed society for security, assurance, comfort. We give to others because we take from them as well. We feed off each other, which happens to be, a mutual relationship that benefits both party.