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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!!
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To: Achilles who wrote (43447)7/4/1999 2:23:00 AM
From: nihil  Read Replies (1) of 108807
 
I don't like this definition of enlightened self interest. Self interest is obvious and direct benefit to the actor. Enlightened self-interest is a motive which the actor does not initially recognize as in his self-interest, but which turns out to be beneficial to one in the end. Ordinarily, it is unnecessary for the state to publicise or explain actions which are in one's self interest. (Of course, Frederic the Great complained that he had to drag his capitalists to their profits by the nose). In order to get people to do actions that are in but not obviously in their own self-interest it is necessary to enlighten (or educate) them. To get some one to do something that is not actually in their self-interest, such as paying taxes, it is usually necessary to impose an artificial penalty to induce them to do what they would never on their own initiative do even if educated. This is usually understood to be the reason that even a good society has to use compulsion in order to survive.
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