You know, I think this is a sentiment lots of people hold. I disagree. It is an extrinsic reward. I would think we would all be better off if humanity would move closer to the intrinsic rewards of "good deeds".
Maybe intrinsic good deeds are a philosophical ideal in some way. I can see that. Yet for me intrinsic good deeds leave a lot of unanswered questions? It seems that if you ask enough questions about intrinisic good deeds, it leads the conclusion that people should do what is in the best interest of the human species. I believe that individuals should act in their own self interest.
I was taught that the founding fathers recognize that most people act out of self interest. I really don't see that changing. And from the perspective of the individual, I can't see why it should. Clearly people seem more motivated by extrinsic rewards/punishments. They're also motivated on how quickly these judgments are executed. Otherwise we would not have the need for more police, more security, or the trend even amongst the liberal left to support capital punishment. My religion and philosophy provide a hope for me of fairness in a world where fairness for all scientific purposes does not exist. And yet I contend that fairness must always exist.
Why do you say that humanity would be better off if we would look to the intrinsic rewards of good deeds? What exactly are the intrinsic rewards? Can you even prove that they exist?
Take this example. Charlie gives his life in the series lost so that other people can have a hope of a better life. What good does it do for Charlie if his friends have a better life? He certainly doesn't feel good about it. He doesn't feel anything at all. He's dead. Does it help the species? Perhaps, but what does Charlie care, he's no longer a part of the species. Hence the theme of modern morality to me, seems to be that human beings should act in the best interest of the species, preferably agianst your race if you're white and against your own gender if you're male.
Is it really just the selfish gene hypothesis that ulitmately drives all living things? I talk about this point so much because to me this question of why we do what we do is what makes religion still of interest in the world today. I believe it's these moral questions that will continue to give a place for religion even when it has lost a lot of territory to science since times past.
I think we all yearn for justice.
And when the confederates saw Jackson standing fearless as a stone wall the army of Northern Virginia took courage and drove the federal army off their land.