What is altruism?

Answer 1

altruism is putting the interests of others before your own interests.

Answer 2

There is no such thing as altruism. Human beings are selfish. Selfishness, or self interest is what drives this world, and what, one might say makes it great.

Many actions perceived as altruistic on the surface are truly not, because in the end they are driven by some kind of selfish interest.

For example, charity is often equated with altruism. But what are the true motivations of giving money away?

1. For religious people, it might be the perception that they will be "saved", or that they're buying their way into heaven. As you can see that's purely selfish, because they're doing it in their own interest.

2. For secularists, it simply makes them feel good. Since it benefits them in this way, it is not selfless, and therefore not altruism.

I can go on with examples, but I think you get the idea.

Answer 3

To a large extent, I agree with the last two answers.

Altruism is a self delusion. We do our good deeds mainly because of the good feelings we get; feelings of pride/ego/self-esteem. But we won't admit it to ourselves because that would show the good deeds to truly be selfish and that destroys the good feelings.

The idea that there is no such thing as altruism is hard to accept because it makes all of our deeds selfish and that means we're not good. Try saying, "Basically, I'm not a good person". I've never heard anyone say that.

I don't think Christians are exempt. The Christian idea is that we're not capable of being good on our own.

Answer 4

"The basic principle of altruism is that man has no right to exist for his own sake, that service to others is the only justification of his existence, and that self-sacrifice is the highest moral duty, virtue and value.

"Do not confuse altruism with kindness, good will or respect for the rights of others. These are not primaries, but consequences, which, in fact, altruism makes impossible. The irreducible primary of altruism, the basic absolute, is self-sacrifice - which means; self-immolation, self-abnegation, self-denial, self-destruction - which means: the self as a standard of evil, the selfless as the standard of good.

"Do not hide behind such superficiality as whether you should or should not give a dime to a beggar. That is not the issue. The issue is whether you do or do not have the right to exist without giving him that dime. The issue is whether you must keep buying your life, dime by dime, from any beggar who might choose to approach you. The issue is whether the need of others is the first mortgage on your life and the moral purpose of your existence. The issue is whether man is to be regarded as a sacrificial animal. Any man of self-esteem will answer: "No." Altruism says: "Yes." "

Answer 5

sometimes some people are unselfish

apparent cases of unselfishness:
*Doctor in ER
*CEO donates to Charity
*Friend & Flowers

- We can ALWAYS re-interpret actions as selfish
- Find the BENEFIT recieved (Doctor, CEO)
- Subconsious Reasons
- Long Term Benefits
- Avoiding Pain

What is it to be Selfish?
When the *Reason is for your own gain

Infactuation & Love:
Both Involve doing things for others, but only with infactuation is the motive to get something in return.

Cancer -- Mom & Dad:

Unselfish Sacrifice

Romantic Love is Selfish???

I am glad you asked this question, I took a Philosophy course on the Altruist, and still had the Notes... It brought back College day Memories.
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Answer 6

In addition to the definition above, it is interesting that in the science of Kabbala, 'pure' altruism is the highest level a human can achieve. A complete unselfing of the conditioned identity (ego) which shifts one into a powerful creative/causal state of consciousness.

Answer 7

this will give you the full explanation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism