I think "greed" is basically "self-interest with regard to physical things".
This is not bad in any way, no matter what some people may believe.
However, when you twist that "self-interest with regard to physical things" to where you value it enough to steal, defraud, and/or murder for those things, then that is where you committed the evil act- the greed itself isn't evil. This is why statism is "greedy" in an evil way- it steals, defrauds, and murders... and claims to be doing it for "the common good".
Everyone is greedy- even those who do altruistic things- otherwise they wouldn't survive. It's how you express that greed that can be the problem.
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I like to say, "Every person's an egoist every time they lift a fork to their lips." After all, why else would they do it?
ReplyDeleteNice post. Socially, the relevant distinction is between being self-interested or greedy on one's own behalf, versus doing it at the expense of another. Naturally, commie-libs who view the economy as a static pie to be cut up ("morally" yet!), view any gain of one person to be at the expense of another.
In their lives, that's probably right!
Happily the rest of us can create and produce, and grow the pie bigger anyway. And we will, just as soon as they let us, or maybe even without their permission.