[icebraining]

Because you ARE yourself, and the obvious thing is to maximize your strength.

So what? Why is it logical to do the most obvious thing?

And because caring for others implies "love", "affection", "altruism" (emotions, not rational calculations) and even sacrificing your interests for others, whereas helping yourself is immediately advantageous for you and is in your default interest.

Even if there is a "default interest", you don't arrive to it by logical reasoning - it's no more logical than an emotion.

[coldtea]

>So what? Why is it logical to do the most obvious thing?

Because that's how logic works. We are not discussing Logic the mathematical formalism (A=A, A=C, A!=B => B!=C) here.

[icebraining]

I understand we are not discussing the mathematical formalism, but that doesn't answer my question.

Logical thinking is reasoning; just doing something because it feels obvious doesn't sound like application of reasoning. Many obvious things are reveled to be inadvisable when carefully considered.

Also, I don't believe that taking care of yourself is obvious if you remove emotions. Self-preservation is an emotional instinct, not some logical axiom.

[coldtea]

>Logical thinking is reasoning; just doing something because it feels obvious doesn't sound like application of reasoning.

Reasoning is not abstract. Logical thinking has foundations and axioms -- and among those the idea that beings primarily try to help/save/advance/spread/enjoy/take-care-of themselves is paramount.

[icebraining]

I don't see why would that be the case, frankly.