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Originally Posted by William_the_Bloody
I therefore will be looking at scientific studies on human behavior cover selfishness versus co-operation, altruism, individualism, collectivism ect
If anyone therefore has any scientific articles to share on this topic it would be appreciated. The only rule I have, is they have to come from a legitimate peer reviewed source.
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That's an interesting topic. The "Human Nature Argument" is a well-known one in socialist circles, saying that socialism or communism goes against human nature because we are selfish/unable to cooperate etc. I just did a quick Google search, and according to
this article, studies show that our first instincts tend to be to cooperate. However, it also states that simple experiments can't really give a definitive answer on whether humans are inherently altruistic or selfish.
I support the theory that human nature isn't fixed or universal, but that the way we act is, to a large degree, shaped by the world around us, and our material conditions.