From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Thu Sep 19 2002 - 15:49:24 MDT
gts wrote:
> Hmm. You entered that discussion with a message in which you
> questioned whether the nucleus accumbens was the seat of the reward
> experience, but you ended it with words to the effect that "otherwise
> I am in agreement with your post." I assumed that to mean that while
> you disagreed about the particulars of the neural mechanisms of
> reward, specifically the central role of the nucleus accumbens, you
> nevertheless agreed with my over-all position that altruistic acts
> were driven by this reward mechanism - that is, by the pursuit of
> reward that was for example demonstrated in the clinical test
> reported in the press and reported here at the start of that thread.
> I must wonder now what you were agreeing with.
### I guess my ending remark wasn't expressing all the elements of my
position - I agreed with large parts of your post, but I still had some
reservations (that's why I wrote "But in general I agree with your post",
not something like "Unqualified agreement"). I should have been more
explicit. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
--------
>
> Should I believe now that you like Lee think "altruistic" acts are
> driven by something other than the desire to experience the reward
> that comes through acting in cooperation with others? Why do people
> act altruistically, if not because they feel some sense of
> satisfaction from doing so?
>
### Yes, some of them are. Lee has valiantly defended this point of view and
I do not have anything more to add.
Rafal
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