I like to take a different approach when people bring this up. Let’s, for the sake of the argument, agree that human nature is selfish. The argument assumes that people will act in their self interest. However, what actions improve their situation is dictated by the social contract. A system that creates turns society into some sort of a battle royale, and pits everyone against each other naturally encourages sociopathic behavior because ignoring the needs of others, and being selfish is rewarded. However, a system that is built around a different set of rules that encourage cooperation and collective behavior would lead people to make different decisions even if they’re thinking strictly of their own self interest. So if it is the case that human nature is selfish, would it not be better to build systems that reward positive tendencies and punish negative ones?
And this isn’t a hypothetical discussion either. We have a concrete example with the fall of USSR. People who were productive members of society under the Soviet system quickly learned how to become oligarchs under the rules of capitalism. The only thing that changed were the rules of the system.
This is my favorite argument too, it doesn’t matter if human nature is being greedy or whatever, we can just build a system that doesn’t reward our worst Impulses.
We also have ample evidence of more communitarian cultures and whatnot, but of course that never factors into people declaring all of humanity being bad and as such the status quo being unavoidable.
exactly
Of course anti-socialism is human nature, that’s why we need the CIA, paramilitary death squads, and a fascist police state to enforce it. It’s all natural.
I found a YouTube link in your post. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
