Chops Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Not sure if any of you follow Dinosaur Comics, but today's comic touches on rational self-interest briefly, though doesn't come to the right assessment. So close, yet so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01503 Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Only thing I could see wrong with it was when he admitted he was a bad person. Did I miss something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake_Ellison Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 I don't know anything about Dinosaur Comics, but looking at the one picture, it seems like it is a satire of altruism, in which case the author got it exactly right, and he's a smart guy who wrote this for a smart audience. However, if I'm misreading it, and he isn't being ironic when calling the green dinosaur bad, then the whole thing is very very stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chops Posted January 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Dinosaur Comics is an odd one to really appreciate the humor of it. It's pretty dry. It is kind of a satire on altruism, so it seems. Dinosaur Comics rarely has much in the way of a real message, more just observations of sorts and T-Rex trying to figure stuff out. I think, in this case, he's merely pointing out the conflict between self interest and altruism and how letting someone in in traffic actually can be selfish, which by altruism's standard would make someone a bad person. The author isn't exactly saying that it's actually bad, only observing the conflict (keep in mind T-Rex is usually confused, so him thinking he's a bad person for this may be a statement about it, but I wouldn't read TOO deeply into it). Overall, it's a good comic, and I quite enjoy the strip (I follow it when it updates several times a week). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thales Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Dinosaur Comics is an odd one to really appreciate the humor of it. It's pretty dry. It is kind of a satire on altruism, so it seems. Dinosaur Comics rarely has much in the way of a real message, more just observations of sorts and T-Rex trying to figure stuff out. I think, in this case, he's merely pointing out the conflict between self interest and altruism and how letting someone in in traffic actually can be selfish, which by altruism's standard would make someone a bad person. The author isn't exactly saying that it's actually bad, only observing the conflict (keep in mind T-Rex is usually confused, so him thinking he's a bad person for this may be a statement about it, but I wouldn't read TOO deeply into it). Overall, it's a good comic, and I quite enjoy the strip (I follow it when it updates several times a week). He made some clever points, which I rarely see. He's doing the thinking required to point out how egoism leads to treating people with respect, while he is fulfilling his life. Where he says he is a bad person (dinosaur) only makes sense against the altruist premise that selfishness is bad, but it's a superficial veneer at that point. In fact, it would be more interesting of there was another dinosaur who acted on altruistic premises, to see where that gets him and those around him. That would make for good contrast. Altruism at root leads to unkindness and brutality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEgoist Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 Dino Comics is awesome. Ever see the one on Communism? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 It's the first time I've seen this. I like the Athiest Eve comics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles White Posted January 8, 2009 Report Share Posted January 8, 2009 I don't really like how the raptor thinks it's a good idea to only pretend to be nice and distort reality for others. A rationally selfish person would be honest as well as egotistical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thales Posted January 9, 2009 Report Share Posted January 9, 2009 He made some clever points, which I rarely see. Correction, that should read: "He made some clever points which I rarely see." I removed a comma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0918 Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 Another one here from 2003 titled "Objectivism Comics" Seems great, until you mouse-over the comic and realize he's making fun of Rand: "This should have been called Depression Comics" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musenji Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 @Brian: and he misrepresents the "spiritual exchange" as a consciously decided trade, when Objectivism acknowledges love is a sort of payment, but it is automatic, not chosen. If someone represents your highest values, without any contradictions, love for that person is automatic, not deliberated. Excepting that a person is capable of repressing love, as any emotion, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristotlejones Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 (edited) Not sure if any of you follow Dinosaur Comics, but today's comic touches on rational self-interest briefly, though doesn't come to the right assessment. So close, yet so far. I went to the site and started clicking on the random strips, and got hooked. The artist obviously understands philosophy, and has an eye for hypocrisy, and the dialogs are Socratic in form. I finally went to the archives and am working my way to the present. Thanx Jesse, <Φ>aj Edited October 30, 2009 by aristotlejones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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