What Is Your Personal Philosophy?

Discussion in 'Politics, Religion and Philosophy -(FORUM CLOSED)-' started by FreeThePeople, Nov 5, 2014.

  1. FreeThePeople

    FreeThePeople - Rookie -

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    Is rationality an instinct? I say yes. My parents say no.
     
  2. davriver209

    davriver209 - Rookie -

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    Live life. Treat others as you would want others to treat you. Give when you can. Live to be selfish (for a certain amount of time) then live to raise your family. Don't be an a-hole and just be a good person in general. Humble, hard working, respect, etc...

    I feel you don't have to be religious, but have some good morals.
     
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  3. FreeThePeople

    FreeThePeople - Rookie -

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    I'll elaborate. I think that our desire to survive is innate and instinctual. I think running from a predator is instinctual, but it is also rational. I then make the jump to say that all rational decisions by humans are instinctual - rather, manifestations of our instinct. Does this make sense?
     
  4. John3:16

    John3:16 Moderator Staff Member

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    I agree with the first part, disagree with the second.

    Yes, as a species and as individuals, our desire is to survive. We want to live long and everyone has a flight or fight instinct, depending on the situation. We also want to keep our species growing for many more generations, as do all animals (that I know of).

    Where I disagree is with the "rational decisions by humans are instinctual." I work with many families who make very bad decisions, because they are living for today rather than next week, month, year, and next generations. Rather than instinctual, I think rational decisions are very dependent on what you've learned, what you have been conditioned to do from a very early age in your home and environment. What we consider "rational" is very odd or crazy in other countries.
     
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  5. The Rock

    The Rock - Lakers Starter -

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    Follow the golden rule. Treat people the way I want to be treated.

    Always do kind things without expectation of reciprocation/appreciation.
     
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  6. FreeThePeople

    FreeThePeople - Rookie -

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    I don't think I'm disagreeing with you. Maybe I just didn't word the idea properly. I think that making a decision that affects your immediate life and not thinking for the future is still rational. It is still an instinct. However, there is certainly a scale of rationality. I said that rationality is a "manifestation of our instinct" because I think depending on how well you have learned, your rationality will be on a certain point on the scale.

    That being said, I still think that rationality is an instinct. But I think that our instincts get manifested or developed in a certain way as we grow, and this is why some people aren't as rational as others. Yes? @Punk-101 thoughts on this from a psychological perspective? (I guess you're both psychologists). @trodgers @revgen @TIME ?
     
  7. FreeThePeople

    FreeThePeople - Rookie -

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    How do you think we develop good morals?
     
  8. Punk-101

    Punk-101 - Lakers Starter -

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    I think the capacity for rationality is innate, and how we cultivate it is dependent on what we experience.
     
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