It has been awhile since I have posted anything here, but I had a philosophical question pop into my head this morning and thought blogging might be a good way to sort it out. Over the past six months I have moved to a new state, sharpened my intellectual teeth on a new job, and tried (and successfully sold a house). Since a lot of big tasks are off my plate, I find my brain wondering back to cerebral, philosophical matters as it is not occupied by completing projects and tasks that require focus. It is also a function of not having seeing any deep, thought-provoking movies in the past couple of months. Though we are moving into summer movie season, which certainly does not promise much, I am hoping that "The Dark Knight Rises" provides the thought-provoking entertainment that I am currently craving. Christopher Nolan has a good track record of delivering entertaining, cerebral movies that stimulate thought upon repeated viewing.
As for the philosophical question, it is: If one enjoys helping/bringing joy/providing for others, is is selfish to be beneficent? I have been thinking about beneficence a lot, mostly because I work in medical research ethics. However, beneficence is not just an ethical requirement for healthcare providers. Many people really and truly enjoy giving to others. Where does this stem from? It could come from a moral code or self-imposed religious duty. Or perhaps the feeling from knowing you had a part (or are completely responsible) for making someone smile or have success. Down to a root level, it suggests that having an impact on others or feeling productive is a base drive that most people have. So in being charitable to others, is it really to help others, or is it selfishly sating one's desire/need to have an impact? Perhaps it is both. There is no reason that there could be multiple motivations for a person's actions.
If we really want to nitpick, I could question it further by framing it as a chicken or egg type of question. Which comes first, the desire to be charitable or the desire to have an impact? Does one drive the other? I often think about this question when thinking about people's desire to be famous. What power comes from having a lot of people know who you are? There are the obvious perks like money and influence that can get you nice materials items and sway over projects, parties and processes. This would point to a more self-serving bent. But what about people who want to use that money, influence and power to help others? That is provide for those who need, be it material items or life experiences. It is not necessarily a charitable impact either. Perhaps someone wants to be a famous author, and be able to say they entertained, influenced or educated X number of people who read their book.
The desire to be productive or have an impact on others often comes from an existential perspective. People want to know the meaning of life and specifically what they are "meant" to do with themselves (presupposing that anyone who thinks this is operating with a normative level of cognition and self-awareness). Personally I think that the depths with which someone questions their own value/meaning is correlated with their degree of instropection and self-awareness. I don't think that there needs to be any deep thinking though, for someone to want to have an impact. My question is, does that need to have an impact manifest itself through selfish desires (wanting to be loved, admired, respected) or beneficent ones (helping others, giving to causes, contributing to the knowledge base)?
Everyone wants to be known or remembered, whether by a few or many. How one is thought of or remembered is what is important, in my opinion. I admire those who make intellectual, educational and scientific contributions that change people's lives. A utilitarian philosophy would argue the more people impacted, the better. But we all can't be world changers. It's funny because I never want to be famous (though I wouldn't mind some of the financial, social or opportunity perks that come with it). But I would like to impact others. If that is selfish of me, does that matter?
