Are Humans Innately Altruistic
How can one believe that humans are innately altruistic, when humans are the only species that selfishly keeps other creatures in captivity for their own happiness and maliciously murders organisms for their own pleasure and desire to prove that their beliefs are correct? Although people can show sympathy for others, people are innately self-centered because humans are motivated by their fears and desire to surpass everyone else, so they can have the most. Although humans naturally want to obtain more than others, they will always try to find the easiest way to get what they want because humans are lazy, which is why humans have decided to live communally. I was able to discover what humans are like naturally after I studied the philosophers,
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Adam Smith, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes.While I believe that humans are innately self-centered, instead of good or bad, each of the philosophers think people are either good or bad. Smith, Locke, and Rousseau believes that humans are innately good, while Machiavelli and Hobbes believes that humans are innately evil. Adam Smith, who contrasts with my beliefs about human nature, personally believes that humans are good because humans are motivated by their want to do what is right by others, so humans have decided to live communally to help others. I also disagree with John Locke, in regards to his belief that humans are innately good because that is the way humans were created by G-d and humans are motivated by natural laws. However, I agree with Locke’s belief that humans live communally to have their property protected. I also disagree with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s belief that people are good because humans are motivated by their desire to become morally better, so humans have decided to live communally to benefit themselves and society. However, I agree with Rousseau’s belief that kings do not love the citizens they rule over and humans are unable to become nomadic again. I also agree with both Machiavelli and Hobbes. Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli believes that people are innately evil because humans are motivated by their desire to have power over others, so in order to obtain power over others humans have decided to live communally. Thomas Hobbes believes that humans are innately evil because humans are motivated by distrust and fear, so humans have decided to live communally because they fear death and desire things necessary to commodious living. While each philosopher differs in beliefs about mankind, through the study of these philosophers and careful research, it can be concluded that humans are selfishly motivated and lazy. People are innately self-centered. When babies are born, they need parents to do everything for them. For example, parents need to change their babies’ diapers, give them food, hold them, and care for them, or the babies will cry. Also, babies prefer those who are similar to them. For example, in a study at Yale, babies were shown two stuffed animals, one stuffed animal preferred cheerios and the other stuffed animal preferred graham crackers. The majority of babies tested preferred the stuffed animal who liked the same snack as them (60 Minutes). Since the babies preferred those who are similar to themselves, it shows that when humans are born they believe those who are similar to them are better than everyone else. Another example of human's selfishness is shown in people’s obsession with social media. People naturally want others to appreciate and admire them, so people constantly post on social media pictures that will put them in a positive light. Often times, a person will post a picture that will make him or herself look good with no regards to how others appear in the picture. After the person posts the picture, he or she will sit by the electronic device and constantly check it for “likes.” Sometimes, if the picture does not get enough likes, the person will delete the picture. The reason people are so obsessed with “likes” on social media is because they want attention and others to like them. People want others to admire them, in order to manipulate others in the future to get what they want. People’s desire for others to like them shows people’s innate sense of selfishness.
Also, people’s innate sense of selfishness is shown in regards to sharing. At Yale’s baby lab, they also tested how well children share with the use of tokens that could be traded in for prizes. When the children were given the option to have equal or the same amount of tokens as the other child, the younger children choose to have more, while the older children choose to have an equal amount (60 Minutes). The older children have been more influenced by society to choose to have an equal amount than the younger children, which shows people are born with the selfish desire to obtain more than others. Even though parents try to steer their children away from this innate sense of selfishness, people still tend to revert back to it. Adults also display this innate sense of selfishness in regards to sharing. Currently, there is enough food in the world to keep everyone well fed, but everyday people die from starvation and malnutrition. The reason people are not fed is because the food is not properly distributed, since companies only care about their own profits and they cannot earn money if they feed the hungry. People and companies are so concerned with their selfish desire to make money that they have even reverted to animal cruelty to earn money quickly. At factories and farms, people torture animals and keep them in confined claustrophobic places in order to produce meat quickly in return for money. People are so self-centered that they will disregard others pain if in the end they benefit.
Machiavelli also agrees with the belief that people are self-centered. He believes that the end justifies the means, which means if a person obtains his or her desired outcome, then it excuses the wrongs committed to obtain it. In The Morals of the Prince, Machiavelli wrote, “Spending what belongs to other people does not harm your reputation, rather it enhances it: only spending your substances harms you (Machiavelli 486).” Princes take others money and give it to their subjects in order to appear generous. While the prince may appear generous, he is in fact selfish because he used others money in order to appear that way. Princes and every human will do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it harms others. Since people care more about their desires and the end result than others, it shows that people are self-centered.
Another philosopher, Rousseau, supports the belief people are innately self-centered because he believes that kings do not love the citizens they rule over and they want to keep the citizens in their country. Although Rousseau does not say it directly, it can be assumed that kings are selfish. Kings just want to maintain their sovereignty and will do anything to maintain it. In order to for kings to maintain their sovereignty, they must control the citizens and ensure they do not leave the country. Since kings only care about their own sovereignty, it shows that they are selfish. Not only are kings selfish, but the people they govern are selfish because the citizens desire to have the same power as the king or be similar to the king. Children dress up as kings and pretend to be kings. Adults marvel over the kings lives and jealously watch every event of their lives. People’s jealousy and desire to be like kings shows people’s own selfish desires.
Another philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, supports the belief that people are innately self-centered because he believes that people are in a constant state of war because each person desires to be the best. If a person feels disrespected or wants to look good, he or she will fight. Since people desire to be the best and fight just to make themselves look good, people are self-centered. People do not care whether others get hurt as long as they look good or appear as the best. In conclusion, people are inherently self-centered and self-serving.
However, some may argue that humans are innately altruistic.
Humans cannot bare to see others suffer, so humans help those in pain. If a person sees a sad commercial about childhood hunger, that person would be inclined to donate money because he or she feels bad for the children. Adam Smith also believes people are innately altruistic because humans feel pity and compassion for others. For example, in the The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith explains that people are altruistic because of the empathy people feel when when they “see or think about a man being tortured on the rack (Smith 1).” People think of “enduring the same torment, entering into his body (so to speak) and becoming in a way the same person as he is (Smith 1).” When people see a person get hurt, they feel that same pain, so they feel pity or compassion for that person. Although humans can be altruistic at times, I still maintain that humans are innately self-centered. When humans see others in pain, they often feel some of that pain, though it is less intense. While humans may feel for the misery of others, it does not necessarily mean that humans will help the person in pain. Humans rarely give to those that are less fortunate and when they do, it is usually to make others like them. Humans know that if they give to the less fortunate, than they can manipulate other people to like and admire them. For example, celebrities often donate money to charities to make people admire them. Humans will only help others if it benefits
them.
Adam Smith, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes.While I believe that humans are innately self-centered, instead of good or bad, each of the philosophers think people are either good or bad. Smith, Locke, and Rousseau believes that humans are innately good, while Machiavelli and Hobbes believes that humans are innately evil. Adam Smith, who contrasts with my beliefs about human nature, personally believes that humans are good because humans are motivated by their want to do what is right by others, so humans have decided to live communally to help others. I also disagree with John Locke, in regards to his belief that humans are innately good because that is the way humans were created by G-d and humans are motivated by natural laws. However, I agree with Locke’s belief that humans live communally to have their property protected. I also disagree with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s belief that people are good because humans are motivated by their desire to become morally better, so humans have decided to live communally to benefit themselves and society. However, I agree with Rousseau’s belief that kings do not love the citizens they rule over and humans are unable to become nomadic again. I also agree with both Machiavelli and Hobbes. Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli believes that people are innately evil because humans are motivated by their desire to have power over others, so in order to obtain power over others humans have decided to live communally. Thomas Hobbes believes that humans are innately evil because humans are motivated by distrust and fear, so humans have decided to live communally because they fear death and desire things necessary to commodious living. While each philosopher differs in beliefs about mankind, through the study of these philosophers and careful research, it can be concluded that humans are selfishly motivated and lazy. People are innately self-centered. When babies are born, they need parents to do everything for them. For example, parents need to change their babies’ diapers, give them food, hold them, and care for them, or the babies will cry. Also, babies prefer those who are similar to them. For example, in a study at Yale, babies were shown two stuffed animals, one stuffed animal preferred cheerios and the other stuffed animal preferred graham crackers. The majority of babies tested preferred the stuffed animal who liked the same snack as them (60 Minutes). Since the babies preferred those who are similar to themselves, it shows that when humans are born they believe those who are similar to them are better than everyone else. Another example of human's selfishness is shown in people’s obsession with social media. People naturally want others to appreciate and admire them, so people constantly post on social media pictures that will put them in a positive light. Often times, a person will post a picture that will make him or herself look good with no regards to how others appear in the picture. After the person posts the picture, he or she will sit by the electronic device and constantly check it for “likes.” Sometimes, if the picture does not get enough likes, the person will delete the picture. The reason people are so obsessed with “likes” on social media is because they want attention and others to like them. People want others to admire them, in order to manipulate others in the future to get what they want. People’s desire for others to like them shows people’s innate sense of selfishness.
Also, people’s innate sense of selfishness is shown in regards to sharing. At Yale’s baby lab, they also tested how well children share with the use of tokens that could be traded in for prizes. When the children were given the option to have equal or the same amount of tokens as the other child, the younger children choose to have more, while the older children choose to have an equal amount (60 Minutes). The older children have been more influenced by society to choose to have an equal amount than the younger children, which shows people are born with the selfish desire to obtain more than others. Even though parents try to steer their children away from this innate sense of selfishness, people still tend to revert back to it. Adults also display this innate sense of selfishness in regards to sharing. Currently, there is enough food in the world to keep everyone well fed, but everyday people die from starvation and malnutrition. The reason people are not fed is because the food is not properly distributed, since companies only care about their own profits and they cannot earn money if they feed the hungry. People and companies are so concerned with their selfish desire to make money that they have even reverted to animal cruelty to earn money quickly. At factories and farms, people torture animals and keep them in confined claustrophobic places in order to produce meat quickly in return for money. People are so self-centered that they will disregard others pain if in the end they benefit.
Machiavelli also agrees with the belief that people are self-centered. He believes that the end justifies the means, which means if a person obtains his or her desired outcome, then it excuses the wrongs committed to obtain it. In The Morals of the Prince, Machiavelli wrote, “Spending what belongs to other people does not harm your reputation, rather it enhances it: only spending your substances harms you (Machiavelli 486).” Princes take others money and give it to their subjects in order to appear generous. While the prince may appear generous, he is in fact selfish because he used others money in order to appear that way. Princes and every human will do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it harms others. Since people care more about their desires and the end result than others, it shows that people are self-centered.
Another philosopher, Rousseau, supports the belief people are innately self-centered because he believes that kings do not love the citizens they rule over and they want to keep the citizens in their country. Although Rousseau does not say it directly, it can be assumed that kings are selfish. Kings just want to maintain their sovereignty and will do anything to maintain it. In order to for kings to maintain their sovereignty, they must control the citizens and ensure they do not leave the country. Since kings only care about their own sovereignty, it shows that they are selfish. Not only are kings selfish, but the people they govern are selfish because the citizens desire to have the same power as the king or be similar to the king. Children dress up as kings and pretend to be kings. Adults marvel over the kings lives and jealously watch every event of their lives. People’s jealousy and desire to be like kings shows people’s own selfish desires.
Another philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, supports the belief that people are innately self-centered because he believes that people are in a constant state of war because each person desires to be the best. If a person feels disrespected or wants to look good, he or she will fight. Since people desire to be the best and fight just to make themselves look good, people are self-centered. People do not care whether others get hurt as long as they look good or appear as the best. In conclusion, people are inherently self-centered and self-serving.
However, some may argue that humans are innately altruistic.
Humans cannot bare to see others suffer, so humans help those in pain. If a person sees a sad commercial about childhood hunger, that person would be inclined to donate money because he or she feels bad for the children. Adam Smith also believes people are innately altruistic because humans feel pity and compassion for others. For example, in the The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith explains that people are altruistic because of the empathy people feel when when they “see or think about a man being tortured on the rack (Smith 1).” People think of “enduring the same torment, entering into his body (so to speak) and becoming in a way the same person as he is (Smith 1).” When people see a person get hurt, they feel that same pain, so they feel pity or compassion for that person. Although humans can be altruistic at times, I still maintain that humans are innately self-centered. When humans see others in pain, they often feel some of that pain, though it is less intense. While humans may feel for the misery of others, it does not necessarily mean that humans will help the person in pain. Humans rarely give to those that are less fortunate and when they do, it is usually to make others like them. Humans know that if they give to the less fortunate, than they can manipulate other people to like and admire them. For example, celebrities often donate money to charities to make people admire them. Humans will only help others if it benefits
them.