首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
In Plato’s Republic we find a discussion about morality and selfishness. Plato’s brother Glaucon is trying to make Socrates give
In Plato’s Republic we find a discussion about morality and selfishness. Plato’s brother Glaucon is trying to make Socrates give
admin
2016-09-24
45
问题
In Plato’s Republic we find a discussion about morality and selfishness. Plato’s brother Glaucon is trying to make Socrates give some good reasons for why it is better to be just than to be unjust. Glaucon insists that all people by nature look after themselves, and whenever we can get away with something, we will do it, regardless of how unjust it may be to others. Unfortunately, we may receive the same treatment from others, which is highly unpleasant, so for the sake of peace and security we agree to treat each other decently—not because we want to, but because we are playing it safe. Morality is just a result of our looking out for ourselves. If we can get away with something, it is our nature to make the most of it.
What Glaucon is suggesting here about the origin of society is a first in Western thought. His theory is an example of what has become known as social contract theory, and this type of theory became particularly influential much later, in the eighteenth century. A social contract theory assumes that humans used to live in a pre-social setting(without rules, regulations, or cooperation)and then, for various reasons, got together and agreed on setting up a society. Generally, social contract theories assume that humans decide to build a society with rules for the sake of the common good or for the sake of self-protection. The theory is today known as psychological egoism.
To Glaucon, decent persons will do "unjust" things just as quickly as scoundrels if they know they can get away with it since their human natures are identical. Here Glaucon is acting as the devil’s advocate in order to make Socrates defend justice as something that is good in itself. Surely we all can remember events in our lives that show that we don’t always act out of self-interest. We may remember that Mother Teresa and other unselfish souls have spent their lives helping others. The psychological egoist would contend that they may not have been aware of their true motives, but selfish it was, somehow. These people, probably, wanted to get to Heaven, to atone for past wrongdoing, or maybe they just wanted to feel warm inside.
This theory, cynical as it may sound, has established itself firmly in the minds of many modern people. Somehow, this theory removes the halo from above the head of every hero and every unselfish person in the history of humankind. One reason, then, for this theory’s popularity is its presumed honesty. Closely related to the notion of honesty is our modern fascination with cynicism. Oftentimes, people are truly selfish and devious, and things are not what they seem. However, there is a difference between this kind of prudent skepticism and a universal cynicism that borders on paranoia. Such radical cynicism doesn’t allow for the possibility of the existence of goodness and kindness, and this is one of the errors psychological egoists are prone to. Psychological egoists never say that we can’t help being selfish to the bone—they just say that there is some hidden selfish motive for whatever we do that we may not be even aware of.
How would psychological egoists interpret the example of Mother Teresa?
选项
A、She helps others for the sake of herself.
B、Justice is good in itself to the devil’s advocate.
C、Descent persons will do unjust things as well.
D、She is a typical person with feelings of paranoia.
答案
A
解析
心理自我主义者会怎样解释修女特蕾莎的例子?为了自己,她帮助别人。第三段后三句说,我们也许记得修女特蕾莎和其他无私的人终生帮助别人。心理自我主义者会认为,这些人也许没有意识到他们真正的动机。从某种角度讲,其动机便是自私。这些人很可能想上天堂,赎回过去的罪行,或者说,他们也许只是想要内心感到温暖。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/dPGO777K
0
考博英语
相关试题推荐
Tofightagainstcomputercrimes,acomputersystemneedsasurewayofidentifyingitsrightusersandrejectingthosewhoare
EveryoneinAmericanthesedaysseemstobe______withhisorherphysicalfitness,andeveryoneistalkingaboutgettinginshap
Youprobablyknowthatit’sbetterforbothyouandtheenvironmentifyoubuyanorganictomatoinsteadofonethat’sbeendous
Youprobablyknowthatit’sbetterforbothyouandtheenvironmentifyoubuyanorganictomatoinsteadofonethat’sbeendous
Thepotentialofcomputersforincreasingthecontroloforganizationsorsocietyovertheirmembersandforinvadingtheprivac
美国联邦政府的立法部门由两院组成。参议院由100名(每州两名),众议院有435名议员。每一议员代表各州之选举区,根据最高法院规定,各选区人口须略相等。众议员须年满25岁以上,且是该州的居民,并且己为美国公民7年,经由两年一期的普选产生。参议员须年满30岁,
这次到台湾访问交流,虽然行色匆匆,但是,看了不少地方,访了旧友,交了新知,大家走到一起,谈论的一个重要话题就是中华民族在21世纪的强盛。虽然祖国大陆、台湾的青年生活在不同的社会环境中,有着各自不同的生活经历,但大家的内心都深深铭刻着中华文化优秀传统的印记,
Sheistryingto______himbyphoneasshehassomeveryimportantnewsforhim.
在中国人的心目中,似乎没有一部书可以与《红楼梦》比肩,它既可以拥有亿万的读者,也带有众多的谜团。它既是中国古典小说的巅峰之作,有一般文化的人都可以读懂它,但是即便很有学问的人也不敢说尽解其奥妙……也正因为如此,近一百多年来,它被翻译成多种文字,在国外赢得了
Thepeoplelivingintheseapartmentshavefree______tothatswimmingpool.
随机试题
井组分析时一般从注水井入手,最大限度地解决()。
生物-心理-社会医学模式的基本观点是由生物医学模式转变到生物-心理-社会医学模式,要求临床医生
蛇伤急救中,最早的治疗方法是
下列哪项是严重出血的征象
关于或有事项,以下处理正确的有()。Ⅰ.2012年12月,甲公司涉及一桩经济纠纷诉讼,认为败诉可能性为90%,赔偿金额在300~400万之间,且该范围内的每一金额可能性均相同,企业依据实际情况合理预计了预计负债,甲公司财务报表批准报出日为2013年
根据我国《公司法》规定,有限责任公司董事会的职权包括()。
对拒绝接受教育或不服从管理的被收容教育人员,可以延长收容教育期限,但延长收容教育期限的,实际执行的收容教育期限最长不超过()。
所谓热污染,是指现代工业生产和生活中排放的废热所造成的环境污染。热污染可以污染大气和水体。火力发电厂、核电站和钢铁厂的冷却系统排出的热水,以及石油、化工、造纸等工厂排出的生产性废水中均含有大量废热。这些废热排人地面水体之后,能使水温升高。在工业发达的美国,
精制糖含量高的食物不会引起后天性糖尿病的说法是不对的。因为精制糖含量高的食物会导致人的肥胖,而肥胖是引起后天性糖尿病的一个重要诱因。以下哪项与以上论证最为相似?()
A、Grapesandoranges.B、Grapesandapples.C、Bananasandgrapes.D、Bananasandoranges.C综合推断题,从第二句、第三句可以确定野餐所带水果为香蕉和葡萄,故选C。
最新回复
(
0
)