Altruism

Arellia · **Thu Jul 01, 2004 1:10 am Altruism**

Altruism--an act done to benefit someone else, that in turn harms or takes something away from you. i.e. The ultimate act of altruism would be to give your life for someone else's.

However.

I've debated before in a class whether or not altruism was actually a reality. Does anyone really do anything completely selflessly, even if it harms them? Consider: two children in a burning building, one your own. Which child do you pull out first? Yours, or someone else's? Yours, more likely. If you take it to the evolution extreme--you might die for a country in a war, however, you're really prolonging your people and perhaps saving your seedline.

To me, these are strange arguments, as I'm one of those optimists who believes in good-will and all that jazz, but I've met a lot of people with very different views. So.

Altruism. Reality, or lovely fantasy?

Sam Kenobi · **Thu Jul 01, 2004 1:21 am**

double post, sorry

Sam Kenobi · **Thu Jul 01, 2004 1:27 am**

I think, when according to Kierkengaard, someone has reached the highest level of existence, being religiosity, a person can commit an act of true altruism. This level of existence means you are completely willing to sacrifice yourself wilingly for your god, or to do whatever he tells you, no matter what the cost. Um.. so if you saved someone at this level of existence and sacrificed yourself doing so, then it would be an act of true altruism.

hmm.. if that made no sense, Kierkengaard believes that Christ was the only being who ever reached this level of existence.

But I think that it can exist in non-heavenly humanity as well. Yes, how humanist of me, but when it comes down to the letter, I think people can be completely selfless

Morphy · Forum Ogre Joined: 15 Jun 2001 Posts: 3858

Sacrificing yourself is debatable if it is "true/real altruism." Debating altruism usually comes down to semantics.

My personal take? Altruism does not exist in sane people. If there is a decision making process, it can't be altruism.

If there were any examples of creatures that exhibited altruism on this planet, they are long dead. They would not survive the evolutionary process for any of many reasons.

GhostOfAMemory · **Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:24 pm**

I think there are people who act selflessy to save/benefit someone else. I'll have to look up the word altruism to find it's EXACT meaning, but if you're talking about someone doing something so someone else benefits at your own expense, than... yes. It happens in little things aaaallll the time. Like gift giving. It also happens in big things, like, say, jumping in front of a gun that's about to go off and shoot someone else. Of course it happens...