Homework Help

[Z-Unit14 0]

Hey Guys,

I am doing a debate unit in my English 11 class and we got stuck with "Be It Resolved That Humans Are Evil And Motivated Only By Self Interest" I am having a hard time finding information on this subject and any help will be greatly appreciated in form of response on your opinion or simply the poll. Thanks greatly in advance.

[crosskore 0]

I think so. Even if people are nice and do fundrasers and stuff. Most likey they are only doing it because they are getting something out of it. I would say 95% of the population are more about self intrest. even if they may not seem to be.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

I say yes, we are all motivated only for self interst. For example, if I'm really nice to a girl and talk to her and listen to her and all this stuff to be nice and be a good friend, I can say I'm only doing it because I care (which I do) but there is still the under lieing motive of wanting to go out with her, or have her talk good about me to her chick friends so they'll go out with me or w/e. Very few people would be nice and go out of their way for others and stuff without an underlieing motive, whatever it may be.

[Chadd 916]

To be motivated by self interest isn't evil, it's human nature.

[alex 0]

lol

i love philosophy...

your statment does a catchall....meaning ALL humans...and I would tend to say that no not ALL humans fall under a catchall phrase.

looking under what you've said....I would have to vote NO....I am in school and studying to become a nurse so that I can go over to Iraq, Dafur, wherever to volunteer my services and make their world a better place...

however, looking at the broader spectrum of your statment, it seems that your statment may really be ....does true altruism really exist?

in that case...NO....TRUE altruism doesn't exist...as in I get a good feeling when I help these people. However, it's not PURELY out of self interest that I will be helping these people.

so to answer your questions...NO

not ALL humans are motivated by self interest

then again...self interest isn't evli...

[Eazy_b97 1]

I agree there are some catches in there. ALL humans, and EVIL are pretty big assumptions, I'd say no. If you have to debate the side you mentioned above look into some historical documents and try to show humans tend to do anything it takes to gain power and control. Look at past wars and a lack of respect towards other cultures.

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

Look at people like the Pope, and Ghandi, they didn't have an ounce of evil in them. Heck, Jesus was a human, and he was the EXACT opposite of evil. Therefor no, not all humans beings are evil. Just because you are motivated by self interest doesn't mean your evil, you self intrest might be helping make the world a better place for everyone.

[Z-Unit14 0]

Thanks for the insight... Unfortunately we are stuck with the "Negative" side.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I'd bring up the natural conflict people tend to have and how different ideals and beliefs will cause disputes which can be looked upon as internal evil.

[Speed Demon 0]

Let me tell you a little something about the people in my grad class. As you know "volunteering" is a big factor in getting a huge scholarship, hell, there are scholarships that base it strictly on volunteering, providing you get decent marks. At my school, there are grads that are volunteering for the breakfast club where they go and make breakfast for other kids that are less fortunate and there also grads that go and tutor other kids for free. Of course this is all nice stuff to do, but in the end, they are only trying to benefit for themselves in that they will be to say that they are good volunteers. Indeed they are, but there are hardly any people out there that do something for nothing.

Christmas is perhaps a different view on the human nature as it is a traditionally a time of giving. I, for one, love the thought of spending all my allowances and money on my parents for their gifts and stuff because they have given me so much in the past and I am the type of person that gets hyped up about Christmas, I already have different wallpapers customized for each day of December that state the date and the amount of days left until Christmas along with a great picture. It is during this time that we see the greatest traits of humans, in my opinion.

[asdfa 0]

i think you really have to make a distinction between being evil and motivated by self interest and being NOT evil but still motivated by self interest. I can be motivated by self interest, but through my actions, still remain a pious human being, as it can be in my interest to help people. Someone can also be evil but for the purpose of serving some higher ideal. you could possibly argue that all humans are not evil and only serve self interest because it is against nature to serve another individual's interest

[LkptTiger 1]

Heck, Jesus was a human, and he was the EXACT opposite of evil.

...If you believe in that sort of thing. Personally, I don't.

I would have to say that the vast majority of humans are motivated by their own wants and needs (off the ice). I ask those of you that volunteer rugularly (and I mean VOLUNTEER, not "go and waste time doing something that you don't want to do because you need hours for Honor Society" or something like that): Why do you do it? "Because it makes me feel good" right? It makes ME feel good. Not because you really, really, really want to make a difference for somebody somewhere, but because making that small difference gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Why do we buy our loved-ones and friends presents and Christmas and on their birthdays? JUST because we want to make them happy? No. Because watching someone we care about enjoying something that we provided for them in-turn makes us happy.

Evil? Now that's a stretch. But humans, for the most part, are extremely selfish beings.

[Fedorov91 0]

Good points from everyone.

I remeber when I had debate class last year the topic I had the most fun with was defending why prostitution whould be legal, lol.

[mseguin 0]

Some things are not in our best interests but are for our satisfaction (i.e. smoking, overeating). It may not be in in our best interests, but we're still doing it for ourselves.

[Fedorov91 0]

Didn't one of the famous psychologists have a theory that "all people are basically good"? ...something along those lines, maybe you could look into that. Sorry, I can't remeber the name at the moment.