Sorry for the poor subject line. It is really hard to express in words what I am trying to get at, but here it goes.
There is an old argument for matters concerning the individual's "duty" to society, in such areas as political involvement (voting), morality, virtue, the Golden Rule, etc. The argument goes something like this:
Rebellious teenager refuses to vote because he doesn't think a *single* vote will make a difference. Wise adult explains that if everybody thought that way, then our democratic system would be in shambles, and the election would fail.
The same argument can be applied to why an individual should exercise virtue, integrity, etc. (the Golden Rule principle). However, to me this argument doesn't seem to hold up. In the political analogy, statistically, a single vote really doesn't count (in major elections), no matter how much people try to convince you that it does. In the morality analogy, why *shouldn't* an individual think that the Golden Rule should be applied to everyone but himself?
Let's say an individual recognizes no supernatural being. What reason does that individual have to exercise "virtue"? I can see a reason for him to exercise morality to a point--after all, the moral life tends to be easier and happier to live (e.g. - you're not sent to prison). But is there a reason for that individual to exercise personal integrity and virtue, other than to make himself "feel good"?
There is an old argument for matters concerning the individual's "duty" to society, in such areas as political involvement (voting), morality, virtue, the Golden Rule, etc. The argument goes something like this:
Rebellious teenager refuses to vote because he doesn't think a *single* vote will make a difference. Wise adult explains that if everybody thought that way, then our democratic system would be in shambles, and the election would fail.
The same argument can be applied to why an individual should exercise virtue, integrity, etc. (the Golden Rule principle). However, to me this argument doesn't seem to hold up. In the political analogy, statistically, a single vote really doesn't count (in major elections), no matter how much people try to convince you that it does. In the morality analogy, why *shouldn't* an individual think that the Golden Rule should be applied to everyone but himself?
Let's say an individual recognizes no supernatural being. What reason does that individual have to exercise "virtue"? I can see a reason for him to exercise morality to a point--after all, the moral life tends to be easier and happier to live (e.g. - you're not sent to prison). But is there a reason for that individual to exercise personal integrity and virtue, other than to make himself "feel good"?
