Altruism is concern for the welfare of others. In ordinary use it describes helping behaviour, generosity or self-sacrifice. In philosophy and psychology it is used more carefully to discuss motivation, moral duty and whether an action is done for another person's sake.
The word is associated with the French philosopher Auguste Comte, who used it as a contrast to egoism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that Comte also coined the word sociology.
Meaning
Altruism is usually contrasted with selfishness or egoism. An altruistic action is aimed at benefiting someone else, even where the person acting pays a cost in time, effort, money, risk or comfort.
The idea is not limited to dramatic sacrifice. Donating blood, helping a stranger, volunteering, caring for family, defending someone who is being mistreated and sharing resources can all be described as altruistic depending on motive and context.
Ethics
In ethics, altruism raises questions about what people owe to others. Some moral theories treat helping others as central to a good life, while others argue that self-interest, rights, fairness or consent must also be considered.
Britannica describes altruism in ethics as a theory that regards the good of others as the end of moral action. That does not mean every ethical theory agrees that altruism should override every other value.
Psychology
Psychology studies altruism as a form of prosocial behaviour. Researchers ask why people help, when empathy matters, how social norms affect giving, and whether apparently selfless acts can still involve indirect benefits such as reputation or emotional relief.
The question is not only whether people help, but why they help. A person may act from compassion, loyalty, duty, habit, guilt, social pressure or a wish to be seen as good.
Evolutionary Accounts
Evolutionary accounts examine how helping behaviour can persist when it has costs. Common explanations include kin selection, reciprocal altruism, group cooperation and reputation.
These accounts do not reduce every human act to biology. They explain why social species may develop patterns of helping, punishment and cooperation that can support survival and group stability.
Effective Altruism
Effective altruism is a modern movement that asks how people can use evidence and reasoning to do more good with limited resources. It is associated with cause prioritisation, charity evaluation, global health, animal welfare and long-term risk debates.
The movement is separate from altruism as a general concept. A person can be altruistic without belonging to effective altruism, and critics of effective altruism may still value altruistic behaviour.
See Also
References
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