Environments do change significantly overtime however the most basic proponents of human nature do not.
Do you concur that self-interest is one of “the most basic proponents of human nature”? (sic)
In response to various earlier posts, this passage from Chapter Ten of ETHICS: A College Course wadeharvey.myqol.com/wadeharvey/ … Course.pdf seems rather appropriate:
WHAT’S IN OUR SELF-INTEREST?
To enhance our self-interest we seek to maximize the value we get out of life. This does not have to be calculated nor does it have to involve scheming; it can be spontaneous.
One of the best ways to do this is to live a meaningful life. This entails serving others without being a martyr. It may be by expressing love, or showing
responsibility. The latter includes being ready willing to be
held accountable. There are other ways to make a contribution to the well-being of individual persons, such as extending one’s “ethical radius” to include a wider group than earlier, identifying with the family of mankind, and, as time goes on, becoming a better person than you were before.
It has implications for policy also. Once we get broad agreement that humans have often acted in what they perceived to be their self-interest, we might then go on to ask: what is truly in our self-interest?
Our enlightened self-interest would indicate clearly that just as,
on the individual level of our bodies, we want our heart, lungs, liver and brain to work together in harmony , on the social level we want the human family to work together in harmony. Just as a tiger (whose cubs were stillborn) has nursed and reared piglets, and dogs have raised kittens, and cats have nursed puppies, just as animals can get along, we would – in our enlightenment – want the rest of us to get along.
We are aware that in the animal world there are predators and prey; humans may be distinguished from those animals by the fact that we have teachable ethical knowledge, Sincerely inquiring as to what is truly in our self-interest, we wouldthen arrive at some basics, such as stability, peace, minimum nourishment standards for all living human individuals, pure water, decentralized energy sources available to each dwelling, etc. The reader could probably add to this list.
[size=85][There are higher goals for which we could aim. Eventually we might even strive to understand the meaning of the universe - - and become one with it; but for the present to reach out to the human species and identify with it is enough of a goal. ][/size]