Are people just selfish animals or are we more?

Question

If you believe that people are hedonistic at the core, we're basically just animals.

If you believe that people have concerns that go beyond their own needs, we're more.

Whichever you choose: Why do you think people are that way?

Answer 1

Hedonism is not the contrast of "concerns that go beyond their own needs." Hedonism is more about wants than needs. But "selfishness" does not have to mean either moral disregard of others, nor the fulfillment of wants that may be irrational.

The Tibetans are said to have two words for "selfishness," and English needs to make the distinction.

1. Wanton disregard for the sovereignty of others

2. Rational self-interest

Rational self-interest is a form of selfishness called "egoism."

http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/egoism.htm Hedonism is a form of selfishness called "egoTism."

The opposite of "egoistic selfishness" is "altruism." When Comte devised the concept, he defined it as "self-agnegation" for the purposes of serving the Catholic Church. You can't get more opposite of selfishness than self-abnegation.

http://www.ditext.com/runes/a.html (see altruism)

Few, if any, people have committed self-abnegation. Perhaps Mother Theresa did; after all, she wrote that for about 12 years she thought God quit talking to her, yet she carried on. On the other hand, perhaps she was self-serving, doing what she wanted in the service of other people. If that was not what she wanted to be doing, THEN AND ONLY THEN would she be an altruist. She would be as selfish as anyone who does what she wants to do.

And even if she did what she thought God wanted, it was to do what God wanted that she wanted to do; so can you say she was selfless?

Answer 2

Would I put a Beethoven, a Michelangelo, a Leonardo Da Vinci, a Mozart, a Goethe, Pachelbel, Grieg etc.

into the category of just being selfish animals?

Answer 3

As individuals, we are more.  But as people, we often act as animals and think little.  Must be something in the genes...

Answer 4

Human Kind = just another animal on planet earth and we are the worst ones killing each other and other animals every day.

Answer 5

Survival of the species,

-this breeds the trait of selfishness naturally.

Hedonism comes from "excess",

Dominant economies of the world throughout human history swim in the stuff!

Answer 6

I don't think people as selfish animals.

But I think I can be just like a selfish kitten at times. Yet, that is only because some real people comply.

People won't just be simply selfish without any reason at all..

And they aren't animals, Some just act so and trying to be the animal they want. But they're still human.

Answer 7

Life pursues it's self interest.

Group behavior is in our self interest.

There is no 'more'.  Animals that pursue self interest survive.  Those that don't, don't.  

We aren't "hedonistic at the core"  

Pleasure exists because it induces the animal to pursue it's best interest.

Animals must eat.  Animals must procreate.  Hence food & s*x are pleasureable.

Got it?   We don't really have s*x because it's pleasureable.

s*x is pleasureable because pleasure compells us to have s*x.

Peoples 'selfish' needs are best met by collective action.  Hence the best method of pursuing one's own needs, it to concern oneself with group needs.

So yes, we are just selfish animals - but don't construed that to mean we are anti social.    Quite the reverse,  self interest compells group interest.

Answer 8

not only are we more, we are everything! our desire stems from a deep knowing, however vigorously denied, that what we are looking for can't be found in this world. "i understand this life is ****, so atleast have fun" so you lust for the material to fill that longing. "this can't be all their is" so you lust for knowledge, be it scientific or esoteric. lust for more. lust for escape. the void remains