"Unity, brotherhood, peace...division, hate, strife; all these things are expressed through self-interest."
Self-interest is the cause of everything (Love and Peace, Hatred and War, Strife and Advancement), not an expression of it.
The basic purpose for all life forms is reproduction, as such our bodies are programmed to reward us for actions that maximise our chances to do just that. Nature therefore programmed us to act only in our own best interest, meaning that every single thing we feel, every chemical reaction in our brains is geared towards our own selfish goal of reproduction.
This is where personalities come into play. On the whole we have to different phenotypes of personality, those who co-operate with others and those who seek to supress others. The better you are at either of them, the more successful you are (more chances for reproduction). And because personality is largely genetic the more successful personality tends to survive.
=> Division is caused by differences in interests between groups of people who have the same interests.
If for example group A is starving and group B has enough food to last them through the winter, then group A has an interest in acquiring that food. Group B, however, has no interest in sharing the food with group lest they starve themselves. Group A is therefore left with no other choice but to try and take the food they need by force. "Better them, than us."
=> Division/Conflict caused by Self-Interest of Groups right there.
As for the sterile environment... For him to be of any use to an experiment he'd also need language, because language is what allows us to formulate complex thoughts and an individual who cannot think is of no use to an experiment regarding human nature.
And even if we do manage to get an ideal 'specimen', there is still the problem that his/her personality will largely be predetermined by their genetic make-up.
If the two groups found some way to compromise that would have been accomplished through self-interest but both of these groups -believe- in an idea of "better them than us".
Believing the same and harmony of action doesn't guarantee peace. Look at the USSR. They understood the wavelength, but not the frequency.
"but still, self-interest motivated them"
Self-interest is the root of all of man's motivations. Good and bad. "selfish" and selfless. It motivated me to write this comment, motivated you to read it, and possibly will motivate you to respond.
Blaming self-interest on man's division is like blaming a sword for murdering a man when it was the assailant behind him who bent it's purpose to his ends.
The sword, like self-interest, is a neutral thing. It's used for defending or for murdering. For accomplishing greet deeds or extraordinary destruction.
The true root is ideas. A sword, like self-interest, has no internal value.
Group B could have risked starving if they had helped Group A. The chance of total anihilation of both groups would therefore be higher if B had helped A than had they not helped. => not helping is the rational choice.
The sword is like an idea, it can either be used or not. It can be used to protect or destroy. What it is used for is determined by the person-who-wields-it's self-interest.
1. What does that have to do with anything? Nothing, that's what.
And the idea, the consideration of whether or not helping them brings potential harm to your own group, was a tool aiding the group in making a decision.
2. Where did I write that? I wrote "person-who-wields-it's" (person-who... one word), it therefore is the person's self-interest, go figure.
The Division of Mankind
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"Unity, brotherhood, peace...division, hate, strife; all these things are expressed through self-interest."
Self-interest is the cause of everything (Love and Peace, Hatred and War, Strife and Advancement), not an expression of it.
The basic purpose for all life forms is reproduction, as such our bodies are programmed to reward us for actions that maximise our chances to do just that. Nature therefore programmed us to act only in our own best interest, meaning that every single thing we feel, every chemical reaction in our brains is geared towards our own selfish goal of reproduction.
This is where personalities come into play. On the whole we have to different phenotypes of personality, those who co-operate with others and those who seek to supress others. The better you are at either of them, the more successful you are (more chances for reproduction). And because personality is largely genetic the more successful personality tends to survive.
=> Division is caused by differences in interests between groups of people who have the same interests.
If for example group A is starving and group B has enough food to last them through the winter, then group A has an interest in acquiring that food. Group B, however, has no interest in sharing the food with group lest they starve themselves. Group A is therefore left with no other choice but to try and take the food they need by force. "Better them, than us."
=> Division/Conflict caused by Self-Interest of Groups right there.
As for the sterile environment... For him to be of any use to an experiment he'd also need language, because language is what allows us to formulate complex thoughts and an individual who cannot think is of no use to an experiment regarding human nature.
And even if we do manage to get an ideal 'specimen', there is still the problem that his/her personality will largely be predetermined by their genetic make-up.
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If the two groups found some way to compromise that would have been accomplished through self-interest but both of these groups -believe- in an idea of "better them than us".
Believing the same and harmony of action doesn't guarantee peace. Look at the USSR. They understood the wavelength, but not the frequency.
"but still, self-interest motivated them"
Self-interest is the root of all of man's motivations. Good and bad. "selfish" and selfless. It motivated me to write this comment, motivated you to read it, and possibly will motivate you to respond.
Blaming self-interest on man's division is like blaming a sword for murdering a man when it was the assailant behind him who bent it's purpose to his ends.
The sword, like self-interest, is a neutral thing. It's used for defending or for murdering. For accomplishing greet deeds or extraordinary destruction.
The true root is ideas. A sword, like self-interest, has no internal value.
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Group B could have risked starving if they had helped Group A. The chance of total anihilation of both groups would therefore be higher if B had helped A than had they not helped. => not helping is the rational choice.
The sword is like an idea, it can either be used or not. It can be used to protect or destroy. What it is used for is determined by the person-who-wields-it's self-interest.
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You do realize that by rationalizing the whole Group A/Group B thing you're presenting an -idea- for why an idea wasn't the motivator here?
"who wields the sword's self-interest"
Swords are sentient now?
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1. What does that have to do with anything? Nothing, that's what.
And the idea, the consideration of whether or not helping them brings potential harm to your own group, was a tool aiding the group in making a decision.
2. Where did I write that? I wrote "person-who-wields-it's" (person-who... one word), it therefore is the person's self-interest, go figure.
And again, if you deny that Ideas are the source of man's division you'd divide yourself from me by virtue of an idea.
It is unavoidable, my young apprentice. It is...your destiny.