It's a question that's been plaguing me for a while now. We hear the words humanity, humane and humanitarian and they evoke pleasant feelings because they are allegedly for the good of others, a truly noble cause.
But are they? Is the concept of humanity only an illusion, where people aim to be "humanitarians" simply because it is logical and beneficial for them? It reduces the guilt one feels from watching another suffer, this counters the idea of altrusim, there is some reward for aiding another human. Being a "good" person is also a logical choice, it allows people to integrate successfully with the rest of the population if they are seen as respectable and a person that does what is right, as opposed to what is logical and reasoned for the individual.
It is alarming to think that the ideas instilled into us from a young age might not even be true, yet few of us dare or think to question it. I don't wish to believe this strain of thought but it makes sense in my mind, and logic should precede emotion.
