anonymite

I don't know if/to what extent this topic has been brought up before, but it's starting to become a concern:

How is an atheist/agnostic supposed to rectify not believing in any post-death cost or benefit with doing things whose results will only manifest themselves after death?

For example, why would an old atheist recycle his trash, if the benefits of recycling will only manifest themselves after his death?

Aquila ka Hecate

How do many Christians, Muslims and Jews deal with it?

After all, they don't beleive they'll actually be on the earth to deal with the fruits of their actions, do they?

Some reincarnationists may, and bully for them if they think they're leaving the room tidy because they'll be coming back to it.

For an atheist like myself, the answer is similar to the answer to why I do many things.
Why educate my child?
Why try and make a difference in the world of thought and belief?
Why try to do my bit in containing our efforts to trash the environment?

Because I'm of the human race, and the human race is all the immortality I'll ever know.So I'd like to ensure that it does carry on after I'm gone.

Vandrare

who am i to come into a place thats not mine (the world), trash it, the leave the mess never come back?! seems a bit rude to me....

ieyeasu

I try to live by the maxim "Leave every room better than you enter it". Same idea applies.

Max Demian

Why not? It gives many a good feeling to have done something positive for the 'natural' world. That's certainly the reason why most people give to charity, I'm sure. Surely compassion and goodwill can reach beyond what will directly benefit the benefactor within their lifetime? There is, after all, a rational explanation of altruism, isn't there?

anonymite

There is? That's basically what I'm trying to get at. If people are motivated into action by [the preception of] cost and benefit, what motivates someone to action whose benefit lies outside the scope of his existence?

This applies to everyone, but especially atheists, because you can't use the "God likes it" explanation.

Max Demian

Here is an interesting article on The Fallacies of Egoism and Altruism. Here is an article on altruism as a whole (the fact that it is from a Catholic website is largely irrelevant for the first part of the article).

Below is a quoted excerpt from the above article on altruism, namely Auguste Comte's ethical theory:

Here is an article on the evolution of altruism, and here is a biological definition of altruism. An excerpt:

That said, below are some links to some more articles of a secular and scientific nature.

Memetics and altruism
Reciprocal sharing and the evolution of altruism

Buddrow_Wilson

Wow I never thought of that. Screw recycling. Thanks anonymite!