Modern avarice consists of stinginess toward others masked as rational self-interest

Evidence

Irrationality, Adorno contends, need not be regarded as adopting policies wholly disconnected from individual and collective ego aims. On the contrary, it is cases where rational self-interest as normally understood is pushed to extremes so as to become irrational, the historical fate of reason presented in Dialectic of Enlightenment, that are to be studied. The surface rationality of the common sense advice proffered by astrology columns corresponds to this premise. Such columns are far from esoteric in what they advise; for example, today is a good day to avoid family arguments, sort out one’s financial situation, buy, sell, plan a holiday, begin a relationship, beware of involvements, etc. — Theodor W. Adorno, The Culture Industry, 33 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Many market economists have long asserted that eventually the people of the Eastern nations would give up on communist command economics. Interests must eventually trump an ideology that runs counter to interests. Market economists and rabid anti-Communists agreed that the ideology was counter to interests. But the economists had better (more generally applicable) grounds for understanding citizens of communist states than did the American far right because their conclusions were grounded in expectations of rationality, not expectations of irrationality. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 533 (#complicates, via linked claim)

We are again confronted with one of the most vexing aspects of advanced industrial civilization: the rational character of its irrationality. Its productivity and efficiency, its capacity to increase and spread comforts, to turn waste into need, and destruction into construction, the extent to which this civilization transforms the object world into an extension of man’s mind and body makes the very notion of alienation questionable. The people recognize themselves in their commodities; they find their soul in their automobile, hi-fi set, split-level home, kitchen equipment. The very mechanism which ties the individual to his society has changed, and social control is anchored in the new needs which it has produced. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 124 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Irrationality arises from pushing rational self-interest to extremes. — Theodor W. Adorno, The Culture Industry: Selected Essays…, 33; Predicting behavior from rational self-interest offers firmer ground than assuming ideological irrationality. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 533; Solitary instincts conflict with the gregarious self-interest required for society — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2471 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Irrationality arises from pushing rational self-interest to extremes. #qualifies (0.78) — Theodor W. Adorno, The Culture Industry, 33
• Predicting behavior from rational self-interest offers firmer ground than assuming ideological irrationality. #complicates (0.75) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 533
• Technical rationality makes irrational social control appear reasonable and rational #complicates (0.75) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 124
• Solitary instincts conflict with the gregarious self-interest required for society #complicates (0.72) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2471
• Opening with cooperation is rational self-interest, not mere morality #complicates (0.72) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 544
• High authoritarians adopt principles opportunistically to justify self-interest #exemplifies (0.70)