Philosophy For Our Times The Selfish and The Selfless SPECIAL | JD Vance, Pope Francis, and the 10 Commandments
Jun 27, 2025
Steven D. Hales, a philosophy professor, and Kristján Kristjánsson, an expert in virtue ethics, delve into the clash between JD Vance and Pope Francis over selfishness and altruism. They explore how familiarity shapes moral behavior and discuss Nietzsche's critique of altruism, revealing the egoist motives behind supposedly selfless actions. The duo also examines the complexities of jealousy through the lens of the Tenth Commandment, questioning its moral implications and shedding light on its nuanced role in human relationships.
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Moral Theory Clash in Vance Debate
- J.D. Vance defends prioritizing love from family outward, contrasting Pope Francis's universal love vision.
- This debate embodies the clash between agent-relative and agent-neutral moral theories rooted in evolutionary instincts.
Atheism Must Destroy God Within
- Slavoj Žižek claims true atheism must destroy the idea of God from within rather than deny His existence.
- Ethical resistance means refusing to love a God who is cruel, even if He exists.
Nietzsche on Limits of Selflessness
- Nietzsche rejects pure altruism, seeing actions as mixed with egoism and selflessness as potentially weakness.
- Selflessness may stem from impotence and herd morality, not a universal virtue.
