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Mary Midgley's 'The Mythology Of Selfishness'

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According to “The Mythology of Selfishness,” by Mary Midgley, the natural function of society is not entirely selfish in nature. Midgley believes that the natural telos of society is the development of intellect based on an individual’s social nature or their inclination toward coexistence and empathy. However, the natural function of an individual is to ensure that individual’s own survival, but instead results in ensuring the survival of society. These ends can combine because one individual is tied to the whole society. Midgley’s telos and Aristotle’s telos of a city-state are very similar. Aristotle asserts that polis is the formation of community for the common good and is based on the social relationship of citizens to one another. Aristotle

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