[chezlaw]

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It seems to me that empathy or pity or whatever works both ways. If I can feel pain because of another's suffering, I can also feel pleasure because of another's joy.

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I agree. Its the idea that caring about others is purely a negative thing that is wrong i.e. that we are moral because we are disusted (or hurt) by their suffering.

As I undersatnd it DS is saying that we take what we want unless we calculate it will harm us or it causes us disgust. He is suggestig that 'morality' is the calculation or the disgust that inhibits us from just doing whatever we want.

But it misses the main point which is that the well-being/happyness of those we care about (not all people equally) is itself something we want.

chez