Altruism - True Altruism Does Not Exist Essay - 711 Words

â€Å"True altruism does not exist†. Discuss with reference to psychological theory and research. Many have defined altruism in a similar context, a special form of helping behaviour that is â€Å"an act that is motivated by the desire to benefit another individual rather than oneself† (Hogg Vaughan, 2008). An altruistic act does not necessarily have a negative or zero value to the actor (Margolis, 1982) but a true altruistic act is detrimental to the actors fitness and enhances another individual’s fitness, in other words, a selfless act (Batson, 1991). Throughout the evolution of altruism, there have been many controversies about the existence of true altruism. Most theories have argued that it stems from ulterior motives, but does that prove†¦show more content†¦Another motive of altruism to gain indirect returns is the egoistic motives. It is suggested by Mandeville (1732), where a person who is in a situation that causes personal distress would behave altruistically to relieve that particular distress. Although theories that suggest the non-existence of true altruism may be persuasive, it does not explain the reasons for selfless deeds done by famous figures for their love and services to people such as Mother Teresa. Batson (1991) suggested a hypothesis and feels that some people are genuinely concerned about other people’s welfare. According to his empathy-altruism hypothesis, empathic concerns produce altruism motivation and relieving their sufferings is the main priority. This hypothesis is supported by several experiments where participants are typically given an opportunity to help those in need for whom they have been led to different levels of empathic concerns. Also, recent news has reported that chimpanzees (Choi, 2007) and toddlers (China Daily, 2006) have shown true altruistic behaviour. In conclusion, the existence of altruism has yet to be proven but that does not mean it does not exist. More research has to be done in this field to explain about other cases to prove its existence. References Batson, C. D. (1991). The Altruism Question: Toward a Social-Psychological Answer. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. China Daily (2006). Experiment finds thatShow MoreRelatedAltruism Is Ultimately Selfish1461 Words   |  6 Pagesproposal that pure selfless altruism does not exist. Bartel (1976) defines prosocial behaviour as ‘behaviour that intentionally helps or benefits another person’. Batson (1987) defines altruism as ‘helping another person for no reward, and even at some cost to oneself.’ This definition of altruism seemingly depicts the behaviour as selfless, however there is a wealth of research which suggests that this is not the case. Dawkins (1976) also provides evidence that altruism is ultimately selfish. HeRead MoreProsocial Behavior984 Words   |  4 PagesProsocial Behavior Jennifer McReynolds University of Phoenix PSYCH 555 Dr. Kimberly Kinsey September 19, 2011 Prosocial Behavior Altruism can be defined as an unselfish desire to help other individuals. The issue of whether or not true altruism exists has been studied by social psychologists for a number of years. A brief summary of both sides of this argument will be provided. Each side as described by Jason Nier will be evaluated. One individual’s perspective on the subject will beRead MoreAnalysis of Real Altruism Essay1667 Words   |  7 Pagesthese are inexistent. This type of behavior has caught the attention of psychologists interested in understanding the ideas and thoughts behind it. Can this be considered real altruism? Psychologists have been studying this issue suggesting different ideas to explain altruistic behavior. 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