I always question the motivation behind everything. Why do people do what they do? It is a question that's plagued an idle populous for millenniums. The stoics say that in order to understand one's actions, one must understand their essence. As per Aristotle, an individual does what it desires to be. As per Ice Cube in the prelude to Natural Born Killaz, "because I can".
I've always said that a person will always do what he or she wants based on the anticipation of reward. There is no ultimate rhyme or reason for anything; the reward received upon fulfillment of the desire supersedes all else. Upon further review, however, what can be more simple and pragmatic than an action performed by the mere ability to perform said action. That said, we have no use for philosophizing where a garden certainly requires tending.
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"Don't we stand at the threshold of a period that should be designated, negatively, as extra-moral?"--Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (one of my favorites)
ReplyDeleteHe also questioned if some people, or 'idle populous', really believe in doing the right thing, regardless of a reward or consequence. But, he added, that even satisfaction one feels from doing the right thing, could be considered a reward.
I'm enjoying your posts. You should write more often.
I never have time!
ReplyDelete"Idle Populous" was a reference to people, much like myself, with too much time on their hands. With so much going on, who has time for philosophizing? Some would say philosophy is useless and therefore we have no need for it. Hence the Candide reference at the end to back up what Ice Cube was trying to say back in the nine tre... except like, back to the future.
Your second sentence contradicts your first.
ReplyDeleteOr was is supposed to? =P