I disagree that greed and selfishness are innately driving characteristics to all of humanity, or that those traits motivate more growth and development than altruism and cooperation. Humans, after all, are a social species. I do agree that capitalism incentivizes greed and selfishness, and that in fact it is not possible to succeed at capitalism unless you are greedy and selfish. Because the material realities of our society make success reliant on selfishness, we have more people behaving selfishly than is “natural.”
Honestly though, this is why arguments about “human nature” are all bunk. We are products of our environments at all times. A hunter gatherer behaved very differently to a modern office worker, and both would struggle wildly to adapt to the other’s environment. There is no one pure human nature.
I disagree that greed and selfishness are innately driving characteristics to all of humanity, or that those traits motivate more growth and development than altruism and cooperation. Humans, after all, are a social species. I do agree that capitalism incentivizes greed and selfishness, and that in fact it is not possible to succeed at capitalism unless you are greedy and selfish. Because the material realities of our society make success reliant on selfishness, we have more people behaving selfishly than is “natural.”
Honestly though, this is why arguments about “human nature” are all bunk. We are products of our environments at all times. A hunter gatherer behaved very differently to a modern office worker, and both would struggle wildly to adapt to the other’s environment. There is no one pure human nature.