The Egoistic Friend :: essays research papers

<a href="http//www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknins Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign personal business Web SitesWhat are friends for and how can a friendship be well-tried? By behaving altruistically, would be the most common answer and by sacrificing ones interests in favour of ones friends. Friendship implies the converse of egoism, both psychologically and ethically. But and so we say that the dog is "mans best friend". After all, it is characterized by vapid love, by unselfish behavior, by sacrifice, when necessary. Isnt this the epitome of friendship? Apparently not. On the one hand, the dogs friendship seems to be unaffected by long name calculations of personal benefit. But that is not to say that it is not affected by calculations of a short-term nature. The owner, after all, looks after the dog and is the source of its subsistence and security. great deal and dogs have been known to have sacrificed their lives for less. The dog is selfish it clings and protects what it regards to be its grime and its property (including and especially so - the owner). Thus, the first condition, seemingly not cheerful by canine attachment is that it be reasonably unselfish. There are, however, to a greater extent important conditions a. For a real friendship to exist at least one of the friends must(prenominal) be a conscious and intelligent entity, possess of mental states. It can be an individual, or a collective of individuals, tho in both cases this requirement will similarly apply. b. There must be a minimal level of identical mental states amongst the terms of the equation of friendship. A human being cannot be friends with a tree (at least not in the fullest sense of the word). c. The behaviour must not be deterministic, lest it be interpreted as instinct driven. A conscious choice must be involved. This is a very move conclusion the more "reliable", the more "predictable" the less appreciate d. somebody who reacts identically to similar situations, without dedicating a first, let alone a trice thought to it his acts would be depreciated as "automatic responses". For a pattern of behaviour to be described as "friendship", these four conditions must be met diminished egoism, conscious and intelligent agents, identical mental states (allowing for the communication of the friendship) and non-deterministic behaviour, the root of constant decision making. A friendship can be and a good deal is tested in view of these criteria.