The motive for altruism

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, altruism is: "the theory of conduct that regards the good of others as the end of moral action." This term was coined by the philosopher Auguste Comte, who used it to contrast "egoism", which is the self-serving pursuit of happiness. In other words, a deed is considered altruistic if its objective leads to happiness of others over happiness of self.

I will not contest this definition of altruism but I am interested in exploring the motives of altruism. Why do we love at the expense of our wellbeing? Why do we give with seemingly no expectation of receiving?

I have come to believe that there are a few reasons for altruism and that these reasons may or may not exist independently of each other.

1) We are altruistic because we derive happiness from serving others. This is perhaps one of the more idealized motives for being altruistic. From a non-religious perspective, this impulse probably stems from some "innate goodness" in Man. From a religious perspective, the desire for self-sacrificial love to others originates from God and is planted in the hearts of Man by God. Here is an interesting question to ponder. If we do good because we derive happiness from doing so, what happens if our primary drive for doing good is the subconscious pursuit of happiness of self? One criticism of volunteer tourism is that many participants are in it for the "feel good" factor. Think of it as acquiring quick and easy endorphins if you will. While this is in no way intended to belittle their efforts to improve the lives of others, it does make one wonder if our actions can be considered altruistic in this case.

Maybe the line is drawn at whether our desire to bring happiness to others outweighs the pleasure we derive from doing good, but it is extremely difficult for us to think like this.

2) We are altruistic because other people around us are altruistic. Humans have a strange propensity to emulate the behavior of other people around them. If a person is surrounded by altruistic people, odds are his/her behavior will also incline towards altruism. This could mean that altruistic behavior can be "nurtured" even if it were not part of our "nature" to do so. However, what if the person is taken out and put into a crowd of people with selfish desires? Will he then cease to be altruistic?

Of course, reciprocal altruism should fall into this category as well. Simply put, I will sacrifice my wellbeing for yours because you have done the same for me previously. On a basic level, doing good can be seen as a "repayment" of sorts for being the recipient of goodwill from others. This vaguely resembles mutualism in nature, whereby two different species derive benefits from interacting with each other. Many people are also more disposed to go the extra mile to help someone whom they have a good impression of, rather than someone whom they are less familiar with or whom they are on bad terms with.

3) We are altruistic because we covertly and subconsciously hold the belief that there must be a reward for performing good deeds. There are people who believe in accumulating "karma" through their acts of kindness. There are also people who believe that performing good deeds is a ticket to heaven. Then there are those people who do good in order to avoid being reincarnated as a pig.

It is possible for non-religious motivations to fall into this category too. Maybe doing charity work will earn me "brownie points" with that attractive female next door. Maybe being actively involved in volunteer work will earn me the respect of others. Such thoughts are unwholesome but not uncommon amongst people.

Category 3 is arguably the most twisted motivation for being altruistic. I doubt people who fall into this category most of the time can be even considered "altruistic" at all.

4) We are altruistic because of responsibility and duty. While feelings of "altruism" and "duty" can exist independently of each other, it is often hard to tell the difference. Maybe we feel obliged to be altruistic due to various expectations thrust upon us, even if there is no possibility of reward or recognition. A priest certainly has the moral imperative thrust upon his mantle to be selfless towards others. Perhaps some of us view volunteer work and charitable acts as a form of social responsibility. I do not think it's wrong to be motivated by duty, but this cannot be our sole drive to be altruistic. In another perspective, some people can be altruistic because a divine authority commands us to do so. If it is decreed by God that one should "love thy neighbor", then it becomes a moral obligation for the pious.

This list of reasons is most certainly not exhaustive. There are possible socio-biological reasons to altruism as well. In this perspective, altruism is the "reduction of individual fitness to increase the fitness of other individuals in the population". If the benefits derived from the increase in group fitness outweigh the costs to the fitness of the individual, then altruism would constitute logical behavior amongst animals. For more information, read up on "Hamilton's rule" and "Kin Selection".

What else is there to consider? We may strive to achieve the good of others at great personal cost, but what happens if the end result of our actions is detrimental to them in the long run due to our inherent limitations or our lack of foresight? Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Give a man more fish and perhaps he will never learn how to fish for himself. Mind boggling.