The Logic of Good Social Relations

Good social relations have more or less an aspect of gift-giving which, by nature, can be neither bought nor imposed. Interaction in this respect will lead purely selfish people to an irremediably inferior state, while pure altruism and unconditional morality are very demanding on the ground of motivation. However, a satisfactory solution solely requires that an actor reciprocates the others' attitude, a much less demanding behaviour. Such reciprocity also fosters standard economic efficiency, and can be elicited by a number of widespread psychological features.