Quote:
Originally Posted by garbanzo
of course not. those are complicated and rather abstract concepts. the best we can do is extrapolate from basic moral values, hoping to arrive at a scheme that will cover those outer branches of the tree.
but innate = biological, yes?
moreover, i don't feel that i 'know' i ought to give to the poor. in fact, i'm rather inclined not to. the only reason i can imagine to do so is that it might have a beneficial psychological impact on my ego, but my ego is quite healthy, and does not need any food right now...
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When you see a starving African child or a homeless man begging for food (not a panhandler, someone who is clearly down on their luck) do you not feel a little bit of sympathy? I have a hard time believing that all humans (at least sane and well adjusted ones) don't have some empathetic core in them that at least makes them react in a charitable, pitiable or even disgusting manner to those sorts of situations. I can understand feeling justified in knowing you have no obligation to help the downtrodden but that still points to you being aware of your superior position and it also points to you arguing against some original structure (that helping the poor is good), a structure created by a humanity before you. That aside, the fact you say the only reason you'd imagine giving to the poor is to have a beneficial impact on your ego shows you're aware it would be the "right" (or at the very least nice) thing to do, even if there's no beneficial effect that's tangible.