While the article moves all over the page, I think the general premise is probably correct...at least to the extent he is analyzing motivations.
Everyone has motivations...and, with the exception of very few people, a great deal of those motivations are self serving.
As my byline says, society simply needs to recognize those motivations and try to shape the rules to harness those motivations for the betterment of society. This is best accomplished without moral judgement of those motivations. Other than in a religious sense...greed, ego, envy, etc...are neither good or bad emotions and motivations. They simply exist. Trying to moralize them is like trying to moralize lust. It assumes you can teach away that emotion. IMHO, you can't. No matter how far down in your soul you push the emotion...it is still there...linguring...trying to get out.
The rule shapers need to recognize the motivations at every level of citizen, and to the fullest extent possible, shape the rules to allow that motivation to flourish, while at the same time harnessing its energy for the most good of society. That does not mean a boundless world...there must be boundaries. But there is much we can all agree on if we simply take the moral bitching out of the mix.
We spend way to much time discussing who is moral and who is not.
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