Q&A: Questioner
Questioner
Question
I saw in one of your older columns that you discussed whether a person's motive for all his actions is only his own pleasure, or whether he also acts based on his recognition of his obligations, and I wanted to ask:
A. I don't have proofs or explanations that this is so, but I feel that I don't really care about my obligations and I do only some of them in order to feel good about myself, etc., and perhaps you could explain to me why I'm mistaken.
B. If a person's motive is the feeling of good pleasure (and apparently it would be difficult even if we assume that fulfilling his obligations is also a motive), then what place is there for free choice? Where is the chooser? The action that gives more pleasure (and where there is an intellectual obligation, then also the stronger motive motivates) is the action that will be done, and there is no option to do otherwise. Thank you very much.
Answer
A. I didn't understand what you mean: mistaken in that you act only for the sake of pleasure, or mistaken in your self-diagnosis?
B. That is indeed correct. If you are a pleasure machine, you have no free choice.