The word “needlessly” is not necessary because people do act in selfish ways. By that I mean they act to achieve their own interests first. They do not act to “ideal standards” to achieve “optimum outcomes”.
There’s nothing wrong in putting one’s own interests first. In fact, evolutionary ethics is based on inclusive fitness (the fitness of the individual). It’s a case by case basis, how much we need to take care of ourselves, and how much we need to take care of others, in a given situation. If someone is acting for their own benefit – if they are clever, they will still act according to ideal standards, so as to achieve the optimum result for themselves.
Due to the relative nature of morality and the deterministic aspect behind our actions we cannot settle for a “one size fits all” moral theory.
Morality isn’t one thing and can’t be sliced up in a single way. But the various parts form a coherent whole.
Dal and ice cream were never meant to go together: that would be a culinary abomination. But intentions, actions and consequences are inescapably connected in real life.
All these things may look disparate, but they can be described and placed within a coherent picture.
Unseen 3 years, 3 months ago.
