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Single Idea 6244

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / f. Altruism ]

Full Idea

Human nature seems scarce capable of malicious disinterested hatred, or an ultimate desire of the misery of others, when we imagine them not pernicious to us, or opposite to our interests; ..that is only the effect of self-love, not disinterested malice.

Gist of Idea

Human nature seems incapable of universal malice, except what results from self-love

Source

Francis Hutcheson (Treatise 2: Virtue or Moral Good [1725], §II.VII)

Book Ref

'British Moralists 1650-1800 Vol. 1', ed/tr. Raphael,D.D. [Hackett 1991], p.278

A Reaction

I suppose it is true that even the worst criminals brooding in prison don't wish the entire population of some foreign country to die in pain. Only a very freakish person would wish the human race were extinct. A very nice observation.

The 16 ideas with the same theme [placing the concerns of others before one's self]:

1590 The just man does not harm his enemies, but benefits everyone [Plato]
90 All altruism is an extension of self-love [Aristotle]
3553 Stoic morality says that one's own happiness will lead to impartiality [Stoic school, by Annas]
6244 Human nature seems incapable of universal malice, except what results from self-love [Hutcheson]
3926 The human heart has a natural concern for public good [Hume]
3717 Reverence is awareness of a value which demolishes my self-love [Kant]
3720 We may claim noble motives, but we cannot penetrate our secret impulses [Kant]
4185 Altruistic people make less distinction than usual between themselves and others [Schopenhauer]
14831 No one has ever done anything that was entirely for other people [Nietzsche]
7205 Altruism is praised by the egoism of the weak, who want everyone to be looked after [Nietzsche]
4505 How can it be that I should prefer my neighbour to myself, but he should prefer me to himself? [Nietzsche]
5316 We undermine altruism by rewarding it, but we reward it to encourage it [Wilson,EO]
5318 Pure hard-core altruism based on kin selection is the enemy of civilisation [Wilson,EO]
3263 If our own life lacks meaning, devotion to others won't give it meaning [Nagel]
21830 For Darwinians, altruism is either contracts or genetics [Flanagan]
9781 Tolerance and love are strategies to avoid encountering our neighbours [Zizek]