When I mentioned self, I was not only referring it to individual self, but also to our own gene pool. The person who sacrificed his own life for others do so for the benefit of his own gene pool in that particular country that his family and relatives live in. However, some may sacrifice their lives because they believe there is a reward waiting for them in heaven, or that it brings honor (benefit) to their family.
So what was in his mind as he was throwing himself on the grenade was "I am doing this for my individual self and my gene pool." Not bloody likely... Could you even accept that an atheist could blow himself up out of something beyond selfishness?
Ayn Rand, Moron Magnet Posted by Chicago Fan on Sat, Feb 27, 2010 at 11:23 AM Teaching American literature, one of the key delights is running into the sort of student who's an acolyte of the selfish and moronic "philosophy" of Ayn Rand. As Dan just pointed out, Randians love to preach about responsibility and individualism, while living large on the fact that the rest of society provides them with all sorts of benefits through those taxes they themselves don't want to pay. The young readers who buy into Rand's nonsense share two features in common: immense narcissism and utter cluelessness. They see themselves as heroic inviolate individuals, owing nothing to anyone, since everything they've achieved is due to their own genius and hard work. When you begin chipping away at this edifice of ego with pesky facts about the inter-relatedness of all people in our society, the many benefits they've gotten from others without realizing or acknowledging it, the response is the same glassy-eyed brain-shut-down that Biblical literalists display when the mutually exclusive and incoherent creation stories in Genesis are pointed out. You say every word of the Bible is literally trueâOK, was the human race created as depicted in Genesis 1:27 or Genesis 2:7-24? Did God make man and woman in his own image, or create Adam out of dust, and then 20 verses later, add Eve? With the Randians, it's more like this: OK, if you think each person is a total individual, owing nothing to anyone else and deserving nothing from anyone else. Cool. Now let's do a thought experiment where you live that way for one single day. Is it possible? No. In the end, you want to be a Randian, go to some desert island and live alone on the fruits of your labor. Of course, someone would have to help you get there, but perhaps it'd be for the best if we just let that little inconsistency slide. http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/02/27/ayn-rand-moron-magnet
His action was biologically preprogrammed into his gene and it was an action based on instinct. The guy did not even got a chance to think before he throw himself on the grenade. Atheist could definitely be altruistic. Remember the Kamikaze? They turn their planes into tracking missiles for the honor (benefit) of their families and to protect their Japanese gene pool. We got to know that there are some things that we do are based on our instinct, and not on our conscious mind.
How can you prove that it was his instinct? That really conflicts with the programmed prime directive instinct for survival on the genetic level... Try again, your answers are not reasonable...
I doubt him and Scalia have ever been in disagreement. No more than Ginsburg has ever been in agreement with them though, eh? As an aside, Ruth Ginsburg's closest personal friend on the Court is Antonin Scalia. They and their spouses have spent the past twenty New Years Eves together. But to say Thomas hasn't written opinions is erroneous.
Well, how can you prove that is was not instinct? If it was not instinct, what was it? Most of the things we do are preprogrammed in us. Examples: When we are hungry, we eat. When we are tired, we sleep. During the day, we work and play During the night, we sleep When we are scared, we have a fight-or-flight response It may, or may not be instinct, but it was surely a preprogrammed response considered that he wouldn't have much time to think when he saw that grenade in front of him. BTW: What is Prime Directive Instinct? Sorry, I just haven't gotten that deep.
Are all of your decisions on the basis of instinct, or do you have an intellect that allows you to rise above the animal instincts? Prime biological directive is survival instinct. The human intellect can and does override that prime directive all the time. " but it was surely a preprogrammed response " Not surely at all. It was a split second decision of the intellect. Soldiers are not trained to fall on grenades...