Ethical Altruism

•    Altruism is defined as acting in the best interests of others rather than one's own. 

 

•    Some people believe that altruism is the foundation of morality.

 

•    When a person's behavior is motivated by a desire to help someone other than oneself, it is referred to as altruistic behavior. According to this viewpoint, an action is morally correct if its consequences are more favorable than unfavorable ‘to everyone except the agent.' 

 

•    The term is used to contrast with words like "self-interested," "selfish," and "egoistic," which refer to behavior motivated solely by a desire to benefit oneself. “Malicious” denotes a more extreme contrast: it describes behavior that expresses a desire to harm others solely for the purpose of harming them.

 

•    Ethical altruism is an ethical doctrine that states that people have a moral obligation to help, serve, or benefit others, even if it means sacrificing their own interests.

 

•    To put it another way, an action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable for everyone except the agent.

 

•    Auguste Comte, the French founder of Positivism, coined the term "altruism" (originally derived from the Latin "alter" meaning "other") to describe his ethical doctrine, which he summed up in the phrase "live for others." 

 

•    Altruism, in a broader sense, is selfless concern for the welfare of others (though its common usage does not imply any ethical obligation). 

 

•    Altruism is frequently regarded as a form of Consequentialism, implying that an action is ethically correct if it has positive consequences for others.

 

•    It is similar to utilitarianism, except that utilitarianism prescribes acts that maximize good consequences for everyone except the actor, whereas altruism prescribes acts that maximize good consequences for everyone except the actor.

•    Altruism is often used as a convenient counterpoint to egoism. It is the polar opposite of egoism, which holds that people should do what is best for them, that it is not only their right but also their responsibility to put their own interests first.

 

•    Altruism is concerned with the well-being of others. When people see others in need and feel empathy and a desire to help, they frequently act altruistically. 

 

•    Altruism does not always come naturally, because it requires people to put aside their own concerns in order to help others without expecting anything in return.

 

•    The idea that it is virtuous to treat others as more important than oneself, according to Friedrich Nietzsche, is degrading and demeaning to oneself, and hinders one's pursuit of self-development, excellence, and creativity. He claimed that it is an ideology created by the weak for the weak, and that it conceals self-poisoning resentment of individual and collective powerlessness.

 

•    Ayn Rand, an Objectivist, has stated that most of the world's problems stem from the doctrine of altruism, and that there is no rational basis for asserting that sacrificing oneself to serve others is morally superior to pursuing one's own self-interest. Furthermore, enforcing Altruism as a moral ideal by the government could lead to the government forcing everyone into a collectivist political system.

 

•    Others have argued that what were once thought to be altruistic actions are actually just a form of enlightened self-interest. 

 

•    Psychological egoists argue that there is no such thing as altruism (despite the fact that this seems implausible), while ethical egoists regard altruism as a morally reprehensible doctrine. 

 

•    Nonetheless, most moral philosophers hold altruistic actions in high regard and believe they play a role in morality. Mildly altruistic moral principles, on the other hand, may be rejected by altruistic principles that require extreme personal sacrifices.

 

•    Note: Some British utilitarian’s, such as Herbert Spencer and Leslie Stephen, attacked the self-and-other distinction, which is fundamental to both altruism and egoism. The welfare of society, the social organism, was seen as the end of moral activity by such utilitarian.