On 02/02/07, Ingrid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
i'm curious. is there any other human institution that is licensed to be sociopathic?
government? science? everything else? In my opinion, *all* human institutions are sociopathic (in the sense you mean). They have their own goals and internal dynamics. Any expectation that they would do anything does *not* further their goals would be mistaken. Any expectation that they *should* is also mistaken -- that would be inefficient. Companies should concentrate on being profitable, for example. If they don't, they go belly-up, people lose jobs, yada, yada, yada. On the other hand, individuals like you and I *do* have consciences. We also ought to understand the dynamics of the institutions that we deal with. And we are the ones who have to set up conditions so that responsible behavior is the best way to achieve the goals of the organisation. So you buy eco-friendly products or vote for sensible leaders or whatever. It would be very naive to think that anything other than an individual would be capable of altruistic behavior. -- b
