W1 Discussion Question 2: Greed Purpose: Evaluate greed as a motivation, and compare and contrast greed with self-interest. Think about what motivates people. To many of us, greed seems like a socially impermissible motivationfvve know greedy people, and we usually try to avoid prolonged interactions with them if we can. Yet selfinterest seems like a normal motivation, and if economists are right, self-interest may even be healthy. Consider that the reason you are pursuing your college degree is likely because of selfinterest. (Note that there may be multiple reasons for going to college that isn't exclusively self-serving. You could, for example, be seeking a degree to better your family.) Is there a difference between greed and self-interest? Recall the famous "ggw El." speech in the 1987 movie, Wall Street. There, the protagonist Gordon Gekko equates greed with self-interest, and declares greed to be benecial for society. (Of course (spoiler alert), he goes to jail at the end of the movie for insider trading.) As people of goodwill, who want the best for our families and neighbors in society, we may recoil at a base motivation of unrestrained greed, but we sometimes aren't sure where to draw the line between self-interest and greed. m pter 1 of the Scalet text 3 will help you consider some of these questions, particularly the gray text box entitled "What Motivates Giving?" on p. 20, as well as discussion questions 3 and 42m p. 28. Post: in your discussion post, make the attempt to draw the line between greed and selfinterest, noting characteristics of each motivation that makt it different from the other. What criteria would you use for distinguishing the motivations? You are free to take the position, like Gekko in the movie, that greed is the same thing as self-interest . and therefore is actually good, but in that case, you will need to defend a motivation that all major religions, most ethical systems, and society, in general, condemn as impermissible. You should also address whether it is possible to engage'in non-selfinterested activity. In other words. is pure altruism possible? Your initial post should be at least 300 words. w- "5...... ...,_. .0\"! Response (due Monday by 11:59 pm CST): Respond to one of your classmates. The response should support or challenge one of your classmates' posts, adding value to the conversation. The response should be a minimum of 100 words, Here are some examples of writing a substantive response: - Ask an insightful and probing question to your classmate that deepens their level of reection . Share how course materials our outside research supports or contradicts the posting . Share new insight Validate an idea with your own life or work experience . Make a suggestion