LYCOS RETRIEVER Beta Retriever Home  |  What is Lycos Retriever?   
Altruism
built 500 days ago
Altruism is unselfish behavior designed to promote others' welfare regardless of harm to self. For example, non-Jewish rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust of World War II behaved altruistically. While prosocial behavior balances own and others' needs, and martyrdom risks death in support of a cause, altruism serves others without expectation of recognition. Altruism requires awareness of one's own needs, empathetic understanding of others' emotions, and action consistent with personal moral standards. At best, children discern their emotions by age three, empathize with others' feelings by age six, understand social interactions simultaneously from their own and others' perspectives by age ten, and base their moral standards on principles they have evaluated rather than on authority by late adolescence. Experiences with parents, siblings, peers, and authority figures who demonstrate, discuss, and reward self-awareness, empathy, and moral reasoning are essential for the development of a sense of altruism.
The core reasoning for intrusive intervention into the affairs of Free Men is the false notion that Altruism is a desired goal for society to implement. The proponents of the use of coercive force to impose their vision of a benevolent society require a moral basis for their demands of conformity. Their attempt to interject a culture of altruistic compassion as the substitute for personal responsibility is central to their model for a compliant society. Belief in their doctrine is a required necessity to coexist in their paradise of social equality. Tolerance exists only for those who accept allegiance to the tenants of multiculturalism.
Source:
Altruism is essential to the Sikh religion. In the late 1600's, Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the tenth guru in Sikhism), was in war with the Moghul rulers to protect the people of different faiths, when a fellow Sikh, Bhai Kanhaiya, attended the troops of the enemy. He gave water to the injured, which revived their strength. Some of them began to fight again and seemed to cause problems to the Sikh warriors. Sikh soldiers brought Bhai Kanhaiya before the Guru, and complained of his action that they considered counterproductive to their hard work in the battle filed. "What were you doing, and why?"
Altruism makes its way into discussions about economics because of its relation to self-interest. The basic concepts of the market economy are built upon self-interest being assumed as a general motivation for people's economic decisions. Adam Smith, in his work The Wealth of Nations, outlined the role that self-interest plays in markets. Smith explains that individuals pursuing their own interests best reach market equilibrium. He describes this situation by stating that the general interest of society will be reached by the competition of individual interests interacting in the market, and this will occur as if an invisible hand was directing it. A corollary that is often attached to this line of reasoning is that activity motivated by altruism may actually be a hindrance to markets, because it introduces inefficiencies.
Altruism can be distinguished from a feeling of loyaltyand duty. Altruism focuses on a moral obligation towards all humanity, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual (e.g. a king), a specific organization (e.g. a government), or an abstract concept (e.g. God, countryetc). Some individuals may feel both altruism and duty, while others may not.
Source:
Altruism is not concerned with self-esteem. It preaches that virtue consists of always placing the interests of others above one’s own. It elevates others’ interests to a position of primary concern in one’s mental and psychological focus. The purpose of one’s life is to fulfill others’ needs, it says. Indeed, pursuing one’s own interests is greedy, selfish, evil. In fact, to pursue and achieve any personal benefit from one’s actions is to sacrifice others to oneself.
Source:
SEARCH
MORE ABOUT
  Altruism