{Ideals and Motives [continued]}[17th June 1970]

[Redbook1:161][19700617:1800b]{Ideals and Motives [continued]}[17th June 1970]

Wednesday 17th June

6pm [continued]

            That having been said, it should of course be stated that the reason makes little difference to the final effect: some attitudes and actions, however prompted, help only their holder or instigator, some help others as well as him, some help others but not him, and some help others to his own detriment.  This is what we mean when we talk about selfish motives, co-operation, ideals, and lack of realism.

            So ideal would appear to be a purely hypothetical thing in the sense that it simply does not exist at all without some sort of motive, while to become popular it has to be connected with more obviously selfish motives.  'Do as you would be done by' and 'Be done by as you did' are two sides of the same coin, perhaps even one and the same thing: motive based on experience.  Hence charity, hence co-operation ... hence civilisation? -- that and the hope of future gain, are they at the root of civilisation?

7.10pm

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