I am not schooled in philosophy but do enjoy thinking about philosophical

I am not schooled in philosophy but do enjoy thinking about philosophical

I am not schooled in philosophy but do enjoy thinking about philosophical questions. In the gaps of time I have in my ordinary day-to-day existence, I have given some thought to better understanding human behavior and have come to believe (or, more accurately, am trying to further refine my basic belief) that human beings "can not but act in their perceived best interests." I believe that each decision that an individual makes represents the sum of that individual's accrued experiences, which informs that individual's "decision" (and I believe the concept of "decision" to be a bit of a fiction, but I will use the term because I do not know a better term). I believe that, when confronted with a decision, an individual weighs, to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the gravity of the decision and the individual's degree of experience, sophistication, intelligence, etc., the sum of his/her experiences and ultimately makes a decision based on his/her perceived best interests at the time. I believe this premise to be near inviolable (although I do have difficulty fitting people's self-destructive tendencies into this framework, i.e., if people always act in their perceived best interests, why do they procrastinate?). I was hoping you could help me refine and/or provide some feedback/criticism of my thoughts as well as letting me know whether there are any proponents of this view or an approximation of this view (preferably letting me know if there are any accessible reads on the subject for a busy salaryman such as myself). Thanks! Mark

Read another response by Thomas Pogge
Read another response about Freedom
Print