: SDF: Any action can thusly be interpreted as evidence of any value, therefore self interest says nothing about the influence of values or context on behavior. What it says (and I made no claim about it saying anything about the influence of values/context) is that the motivation is to act in self interest. You dont seem to think it relavent, it is because is reinforces the idea and exposes the fallacy of 'selflessness'. It doesnt explain why 'jimmy threw a rock' but it does provide a framework to explore the values / context and occludes explanations based upon non self (eg, he did it because his mom was angry is only the beginning of an explanation, not all of it)