Self-Interest and Fear
Philosophers and psychologists have argued endlessly about the forces that motivate a person most since the earliest time of recorded history. There are many theories about this issue, but one assertion that has always been made is that "there are essentially two forces that motivate people: self-interest and fear."
Personally, I agree with this opinion as I believe that being motivated by self-interest and fear is part of human nature. In this essay I will explain why I believe so.
While agreeing with the opinion, I would like to say that I do not believe that self-interest and fear ought to be the forces that should guide our actions. It is my observation and experience that this is how people behave and it is simply a fact of life. Whether or not it is the best or most ethical way of behavior is an arguable point. Hence, I am more in agreement with the theory of psychological egoism, which suggests that human beings, by nature, are motivated only by self-interest rather than the ethical egoism theory that individuals should always act in their own best interest. The most obvious argument against this theory is that in everyday life, people often help others and/or perform acts of kindness. I do not deny that people do act in this way, but my counter argument is that if we really dig deeper into the reason behind a seemingly thoroughly altruistic act, we will find that it is actually motivated by some selfish desire. For example, if someone helps a friend out of trouble he/she is...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now