While it is true that people act on behalf of others from a mixture of motives, and that even those motives that are commonly approved involve the expectation of satisfaction, or of avoiding a bad conscience, and therefore pain, it does not then mean that these actions are selfish. By definition, to be selfish is to care only or in an exaggerated way about what happens to you. Since the precondition of experiencing emotions about one's behavior towards others is caring about them, the satisfaction derived is necessarily and by the common meaning of the terms unselfish.
Now, you would like to make much of the "or". We are necessarily responsible for ourselves primarily, and thus must look out for our own interests primarily. I would not like, on that account, to say that the term "chiefly" suffices, since there must be the clear implication that the self- interest is inordinate to be viewed as selfish in the common usage. The term "selfish" is by its nature pejorative, to at least the same degree as the terms "unreasonable" or "greedy". That is because a good person is supposed to care for others, precisely because he is not the actual center of the universe, and what happens elsewhere matters too. Although altruism as a doctrine is indeed stupid, since it is ridiculous to say that your own well- being shouldn't factor into your calculations, and that only behavior on behalf of others has ethical validity, generosity and considerateness are properly encouraged because it is so natural to become preoccupied with your own needs in an unbalanced and anti- social way. |
