Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: greed

[Zeke Holland (Zeke_Holland]

We seem to be straying a little too far from the topic of cohousing, IMHO...
    --Zeke Holland (very interested but not a member of a cohousing group)

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From:   cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org on behalf of Bill Bartlett
Sent:   Thursday, October 23, 1997 8:48 PM
Subject:        Re: Kilduff: greed is "good"

Paul Kilduff wrote:

>Greed is the source of the greatest evil in the world, but is also the
>source of much that is good.  Any scheme for reforming the world which
>does not take this truth into account is, in my view, doomed.

Essentially everyone's politics and ethics are premised on their underlying
assumptions about human nature. Your argument then is that a more just
world is impossible because people are basicly greedy?

But you present no convincing evidence. Perhaps some people are greedy, but
from your arguments it is clear that what you mistake for greed is often
nothing more than a desire to achieve economic security and a decent life.
Most people in the world have yet to achieve this level of comfort, so to
accuse them of greed seems somewhat unfair. In fact your conclusion seems
based on the record of that tiny proportion of the world's population who
have achieved a measure of affluence and security, yet rapaciously desire
more and more. Another possibility is that this is a symptom of psychosis,
perhaps resulting from an irrational sense of personal insecurity. It is
certainly drawing a long bow to argue, as you do, that this irrational
behaviour of the very few is a symptom of malaise in all of us, or a part
of human nature.

As for schemes to reform the world based on accepting greed as the basis of
human effort, I fear that is no reform at all. We already have such a
system, all you are really saying is that no reform is possible.

One thing that can be said for sure though is that the philosophy people
adopt is always one which tends to justify our own behaviour. Thus the
greed is good philosophy has tended to predominate in those intent on a
career of greed.

Bill Bartlett
Bracknell Tas.