Altruism is a principle of behavior according to which a person does good deeds related to the disinterested care and well-being of others. Altruism is the meaning of the word and its main principle is defined as "to live for the sake of others." The term altruism was introduced by Auguste Comte, the founder of sociology. By this concept, he personally understood the disinterested motives of the individual, which entail actions that provide benefits only to others.
To the definition of altruism, O. Comte put forward an oppositional opinion by psychologists who, with the help of their research, determined that altruism in the long run creates more advantages than it was spent on effort. They recognized that there is an element of selfishness in every altruistic act.
Seen as the opposite of altruism. Selfishness is a position in life, according to which the satisfaction of one's own interest is perceived as the highest achievement. Separate theories assert that altruism is a certain form of selfishness in psychology. A person gets the highest pleasure from the achievement of success by others in which he took a direct part. Indeed, in childhood, everyone is taught that good deeds make people significant in society.
But if we still consider altruism, the meaning of the word, which is translated as “other”, then it is understood as helping another, which is manifested in acts of mercy, care and self-denial for the sake of another person. It is necessary that egoism, as opposed to altruism, be present in a person to a lesser extent and give way to kindness and nobility.
Altruism can be associated with a variety of social experiences, such as sympathy, mercy, empathy, and benevolence. Altruistic acts that extend beyond family, friendship, neighborhood, or any relationship of acquaintance are called philanthropy. People who engage in altruistic activities outside of dating are called philanthropists.
Examples of altruism vary by gender. Men are prone to short-term impulses of altruism: to pull a drowning man out of the water; help a person in a difficult situation. Women are ready for more long-term actions, they can forget about their careers in order to raise children. Examples of altruism are displayed in volunteering, helping those in need, mentoring, mercy, selflessness, philanthropy, donation and more.
Altruism, what is it?
Altruistic behavior is acquired with education and as a result of individual self-education.
Altruism is a concept in psychology that describes the activity of a person, focused on caring for the interests of others. Egoism, as opposed to altruism, is interpreted differently in everyday use, which confuses the meaning of these two concepts. So, altruism is understood as a quality of character, intention or general characteristic of human behavior.
An altruist may wish to show care and fail in the very implementation of the plan. Altruistic behavior is sometimes understood as showing genuine concern for the well-being of others more than one's own. Sometimes, it's like showing equal attention to your needs and to the needs of other people. If there are many “others”, then this interpretation will not have practical meaning, but if it refers to two, then it can become extremely important.
There is a distinction between altruists, they are divided into "universal" and "mutual".
"Mutual" altruists are people who agree to sacrifice only for the sake of those people from whom they expect similar actions. "Universal" - consider altruism an ethical law, and follow it, doing good deeds with good intentions for everyone.
Altruism is of several types, which can immediately be interpreted as examples of altruism. Parental altruism is expressed in a disinterested self-sacrificing attitude, when parents are fully prepared to give material wealth and their own lives in general to the child.
Moral altruism in psychology is the realization of moral needs in order to achieve inner comfort. These are people who have an increased sense of duty, who provide disinterested support and receive moral satisfaction.
Social altruism extends only to people from the closest circle - friends, neighbors, colleagues. Such altruists provide free services to these people, which makes them more successful. Therefore, they are often manipulated.
Sympathetic altruism - people experience, understand the needs of another, sincerely experience and can help him.
The demonstrative type of altruistic behavior is manifested in behavior that can be controlled by generally accepted norms of behavior. Such altruists are guided by the rule "it's supposed to be." They show their altruism in gratuitous, sacrificial deeds, using personal time and their own means (spiritual, intellectual and material).
Altruism is in psychology a style of behavior and a quality of an individual's character. An altruist is a responsible person, he is able to individually take responsibility for his actions. He puts the interests of others above his own. An altruist always has the freedom of choice, because all altruistic actions are performed by him only of his own free will. The altruist equally remains satisfied and not infringed, even when he sacrifices personal interests.
The origin of altruistic behavior is presented in three main theories. The evolutionary theory explains altruism through the definition: the preservation of the genus is the driving force behind the development of evolution. Each individual has a biological program, according to which he is inclined to do good deeds that do not personally benefit him, but he himself understands that he is doing all this for the common good, the preservation of the genotype.
According to the theory of social exchange, in a variety of social situations, a subconscious accounting of basic values in social dynamics takes place - information, mutual services, status, emotions, feelings. Faced with a choice - to help a person or pass by, the individual instinctively first calculates the possible consequences of his decision, he correlates the expended energy and the personal benefit received. This theory demonstrates here that altruism is a deep manifestation of selfishness.
According to the theory of social norms, the laws of society assert that the provision of gratuitous assistance is a natural human need. This theory is based on the principles of mutual support of equals, and on social responsibility, helping people who do not have the opportunity to reciprocate, that is, small children, sick people, the elderly or the poor. Here, social norms are considered to be the motivation for altruistic actions.
Each theory analyzes altruism in many ways, does not give a single and complete explanation of its origin. Probably, this quality should be considered on a spiritual plane, since the above theories of a sociological nature limit the study of altruism as a personal quality and identify what induces a person to act disinterestedly.
If a situation occurs where others are witnesses to an act, then the individual who performs it will be more ready for altruistic action than in a situation where no one is watching him. This happens through the desire of a person to look good in front of others. Especially if the observers are significant people whose affection he takes as very valuable, or these people also value altruistic deeds, a person will try to give his deed even more nobility and demonstrate his selflessness, without expecting to be thanked.
If a situation arises in which there is a likely danger that refusing to help a particular person means that the individual will have to bear personal responsibility for it, according to the law, for example, then he will, of course, be more disposed to act altruistically, even when he personally does not want to. do.
Children mostly act altruistically by imitating adults or other children. This is done before they understand the need for such behavior, even if others act differently.
Altruistic behavior, as a result of simple imitation, can occur in a group and subgroup in which other people that surround this individual do altruistic actions.
Just as a person shows sympathy for people who are like him, he also reaches out to help such people. Here, altruistic actions are governed by the likeness and difference from the human being of those he helps.
It is customary to think that since women are the weaker sex, it means that men should help them, especially when the situation requires physical effort. Therefore, according to the norms of culture, men should act altruistically, but if it happens that a man needs female help, then women should behave altruistically. This is the motivation of altruism, formed on gender differences.
This happens in situations where it is required to help an individual of a certain age. So, children, the elderly need help much more than middle-aged individuals. People should show more altruism towards these age categories than towards adults, who can still help themselves.
Such aspects as the current psychological state, character traits, religious inclinations, refer to the altruist's personal characteristics that affect his actions. Therefore, when explaining altruistic actions, it is necessary to take into account the current state of the altruist and the one who accepts his help. Also in psychology, personal qualities are determined that promote or hinder altruistic behavior. Contribute: kindness, empathy, decency, reliability, and hinder: callousness, indifference.
Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Much of our behavior is dictated not by logic, but by inner necessity. We have it genetically. How many generations separate you and me from the first man on earth? Many thousands.
And all the experience accumulated as a result of this evolution is accumulated in our genotype. We inherited from our ancestors those traits that allowed them to survive and give offspring.
Today we talking about climbers and this is very important, because it is this type of behavior that allowed you and me to come into the world. It is unlikely that we would have lived if all our numerous ancestors would have been selfish in relation to their offspring. (selfless care for children) is the pillar that made possible the existence of the human race and many species of animals.
Altruism is the desire to help others selflessly, i.e. without asking for anything in return. Such behavior is the complete opposite of the other extreme - selfishness (willingness to selflessly take care of only oneself). At first glance, the behavior of an altruist does not stand up to criticism, especially in our age of rabid money-grubbing, where the principle of “nothing personal, just business” rules. But is it really so?
What is altruism
The word itself happens from Latin "alter" which means "others". Some say that altruism is social masochism. It probably looks like this from the outside, but do not rush to draw conclusions. To some extent, such behavior can be much more "smart" and forward-thinking.
Altruist- this is a person who puts the interests of some other people above his own (or on a par with his own). Usually this attitude extends to relatives, friends, acquaintances, neighbors. But there are options when altruism is directed to any people who need help (we can say that).
The same is the opposite model of behavior, when a person cares little about other people or even hates them, as we recently considered. But even such people at least take part in someone's fate or at least take an interest in it.
The population of the earth, for the most part, is somewhere between these two extremes, with a greater or lesser deviation in one direction or another.
From childhood, we are taught not to be selfish, to help other people and to love not only ourselves. Wise advice, the meaning of which you understand only after years. In fact, being an altruist means fulfilling parental orders “perfectly well” 🙂
Distinguish several variations of altruism:
Altruist is a very far-sighted person
If you dig deeper and look at the consequences of altruism in a strategic plan (in the long term), you can see that such a strategy of behavior turns out to be in many cases more successful than selfish.
Selfishness is beneficial in the short term (everything is only for yourself). You did not spend materially, physically or spiritually, which means you saved. But in the medium to long term, you have damaged your reputation and much that others could have done for you, now they will never do.
Altruism, incurring obvious losses at the time of the “act of good,” can bring in the future. He has a cumulative effect. In most cases, it pays off a hundredfold, and those people who in a normal situation would not have done anything for you can come to meet you halfway because of your excellent reputation and a certain “sense of duty to you” that arises in them.
In fact, a wise saying about the fact that "do good to people and it will definitely come back to you." I think that most altruists don’t really think about it (they act on a whim, at the behest of their conscience, following the precepts of their ancestors, etc.), but their philosophy of life is quite consistent and not as stupid as it seems to narrow-minded people.
By the way, this idea is well confirmed by the fact that for many cunning people the dividends of altruism seem so significant that they begin to engage in it for profit (in fact, by conducting self-promotion). I already wrote that there is no one on the list of world leaders now who would have less than a billion greens in their account.
In general, the predominance of the altruistic type of behavior indicates a high degree of prosociality of this person. This contributes to the successful existence of the family and other societies. As a result of natural selection, those who were in the mood for normal cooperation and did not shy away from mutual assistance mainly survived.
Altruism is a kind of successful genetic program that helps the survival of the species. This is confirmed by studies of many other representatives of the animal world. Self-sacrifice of bees, ants or termites for a common cause, or simply females feeding other people's cubs.
But in general, altruistic behavior it is beneficial to society and encourages it in every possible way, especially since the benefit here is most often just mutual. Selfish behavior is condemned, and in itself it has no basis, because its profitability is ephemeral and in time only brings losses.
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The concept of altruism was introduced by the French philosopher and founder of sociology Auguste Comte. He characterizes with it the disinterested motives of a person, entailing actions for the benefit of other people. According to Comte, the principle of altruism is: "Live for others." According to O. Comte, altruism is the opposite, antonymous to egoism, and implies such behavior and activity of a person with which he brings other people more benefit than requires them to apply any costs.
The opposition to this understanding of altruism is Charlie L. Hardy, Mark van Vugt, David Miller and David Kelly, who in their research showed that altruism and altruistic behavior are not associated with direct benefits, or with combinations of various benefits, but ultimately, in the long term. in the long run create more benefits than were expended on altruistic actions.
“No matter how selfish a person may seem, certain laws are clearly laid down in his nature, forcing him to be interested in the fate of others and consider their happiness necessary for himself, although he himself does not receive anything from this, except for the pleasure of seeing this happiness.”
As Dr. Psych. sciences, prof. N. V. Grishina, “altruism is an independent motive that differs from other motives based on personal gain; it is based on love and selfless concern for others, the ability to make a free sacrifice for the sake of the group, the need to give and a sense of responsibility.
The main types, forms and practices of altruism
Moral and normative altruism
The moral, ethical side of altruism can be comprehended through the moral imperative of I. Kant. Internalized by a person, this or that understanding of morality can become such an intrapersonal formation as conscience, based on which, and not from striving for certain benefits, a person will act. Thus, moral/moral altruism consists in acting in accordance with one's own conscience.
Another form, or one understanding of moral altruism, is its comprehension within the framework of ideas about justice or justice, the social institutions of which are widespread in Western societies. Within the framework of ideas about justice, a person is seen as often ready to disinterestedly act for the truth and its triumph in the world of social relationships, as well as against various kinds of injustice.
Acting in compliance with commitments (one makes to oneself or another) and expectations (others have for one) are sometimes seen as a degree of altruism. At the same time, such actions can often turn out to be actions of calculation.
Altruism out of sympathy and empathy
Altruism can be associated with various kinds of social experiences, in particular with sympathy, empathy for another, mercy and goodwill. Altruists, whose benevolence extends beyond family, neighborly, friendly relations, as well as relations with acquaintances, are also called philanthropists, and their activities are called philanthropy.
In addition to goodwill and compassion, altruistic actions are often done out of affection (to something/someone) or general gratitude for life.
Rational altruism
Rational altruism is balancing (as well as an attempt to comprehend it) between one's own interests and the interests of another person and other people.
There are several directions of rationalization of altruism:
Social psychology of altruism and altruistic behavior
With the development of empirical psychological research, such fuzzy concepts as altruism, utility, are gradually being replaced by the more common term "pro-social behavior".
There are gender differences in altruistic behavior: women tend to show more long-term prosocial behavior (such as caring for loved ones). For a man, unique “feats” are more likely (for example, in a fire), in which specific social norms are often violated.
There are also studies in evolutionary psychology showing that humans survive through cooperation and normal reciprocity. As Herbert Simon put it, prosocial behavior has an advantage in a situation of natural selection/evolution, and in a sense, altruism can be seen as a genetic program in humans.
According to socio-psychological studies of altruistic behavior, an important role is played by a person's personal responsibility. Making decisions requires taking responsibility for those decisions. If a decision is made by a group of people, then the responsibility for it is distributed among the members of the group, reducing the personal responsibility of each of them. As Dmitry Alekseevich Leontiev writes, referring to the studies of social psychologists described in the book by Lee Ross (English) Russian and Nisbet, Richard: “if something happened, if you feel bad, you need help, and people are walking around without stopping, you can’t just call for help without turning to anyone. Choose any person, look at him and contact him personally and the likelihood that they will come to your aid will increase several times.
Left-wing political doctrines that aim at a society built on mutual assistance instead of competition may appeal to altruism as a behavioral attitude. The altruism observed in animals and primitive human societies is cited as an argument for leftist politics in Peter Kropotkin's "Mutual Aid as a Factor in Evolution" and Peter Singer's "Darwin's Left" ( A Darwinian Left).
Other varieties
In the general concept of altruism, separate sub-concepts are distinguished that describe some specific types of altruism. For example:
Notes
- Modern psychological dictionary / Edited by B. G. Meshcheryakov, V. P. Zinchenko. - St. Petersburg: Prime Eurosign, AST,. - 496 p. - (Psychology is the best). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-17-046534-7, ISBN 978-5-93878-524-3.
- Manuela Lenzen. Evolutionstheorien in den Natur- und Sozialwissenschaften. Campus Verlag, 2003. ISBN 3-593-37206-1 (Google Books)
- Charlie L. Hardy, Mark van Vugt. Giving for Glory in Social Dilemmas: The Competitive Altruism Hypothesis (unavailable link from 26-05-2013 - story , copy) . University of Kent, Canterbury 2006.
- David Miller. 'Are they my poor?': The problem of Altruism in a World of Strangers. In: Jonathan Seglow (Hrsg.): The Ethics of Altruism.: Frank Cass Publishers, London 2004. - ISBN 978-0-7146-5594-9 , S. 106-127.
- David Kelly. Altruism and capitalism. In: IOS Journal. 1 January 1994.
- Jonathan Seglow (Ed.). The Ethics of Altruism. ROUTLEDGE CHAPMAN & HALL. London. -
Altruist, by classical definition- a person acting in accordance with the principle: try to donate more often and selflessly give to other people.
Sacrifice strength, time, sometimes - money. They give what they sometimes need, as well as much more - attention, care and affection.
It would seem that life with an altruist is wonderful - he strives to give, take care, without demanding anything in return.
But classical altruists, it turns out, also cause irritation. Not so long ago, an experiment was conducted in which, in a collective game, live players (as stated to the participants), one per team, were replaced by soulless computers.
One of them was recorded as a miser and miser, the other - a disinterested altruistic angel. And what would you think? The indignation of teammates was in both cases!
Why do altruists cause so much discontent?
After all, they bring goodness, peace, understanding to the lives of the people around them!
But in fact, there are not one, but two whole secrets - interconnected with each other.
- Firstly It is difficult for any person to be absolutely disinterested. Well, how is it - just take it and do it? At least to feel satisfaction and pleasure - to receive moral compensation. Reaffirm your worth in your own eyes. Compliance with certain internal regulations. Get an "I'm good" stroke.
- Secondly, and this is related to the first secret, no one wants to be "worse".
The social contract is tied to the fact that we do not tell each other the truth. In any case, the whole truth that we think.
Many people think of themselves"Oh, I'm good!" There are plenty of reasons to say this about yourself. And only, perhaps, persons close to sociopaths (or even healthy, but very occasionally and in suitable situations) are able to sincerely enjoy “Oh, I'm bad! Great!"
It turns out that next to such an altruistic altruist, no matter how hard you try, you feel worse. For example, just an altruist. Or a simple good person who will come to the rescue. But he will take off his last shirt only in the most extreme case.
Therefore, the altruist is a relative concept. And the more altruist will be with you (or even worse - do you good, benefit you) - the more you will be annoyed. And, in the end, you will find how to "slam" this person in your eyes.
Because in our own eyes we are always the most altruistic, the kindest, the most reasonable... And that's okay! :)
Another thing is that you can still talk a lot about why people become altruists. How is it that an altruist feels the good done to another person is more pleasant than his own. Indeed, in theory, it should be the other way around - first of all, provide for yourself and your needs, secondly - also for yourself, and then give the rest to people ...
And finally– a short story about an altruistic dentist
The lady struggled to help the poor, the orphans and the destitute. There used to be a person at the reception - paid, by the way. She sees that next to a large hole of caries there is a small caries next to it - and let's treat for free the one that is smaller.
It happened that he would not tell the patient that he now had two fillings - so that he would not blurt out at the reception and would not be forced to pay.
And somehow, over and over again, then this quiet altruism resulted in continuous problems for her. In almost all patients of different sex and age, it was this small filling that fell out. Naturally, they went to complain "to this terrible dentistry." And according to the card, they should have a healthy tooth there ...
Apparently, somehow the world hinted at her. That all labor must be appropriately paid.
Altruism[lat. alter - another] - a system of value orientations of a person, manifested in acts of care, mercy, self-denial, the motive of which is the interests of another person or social group. A. finds its expression in disinterested behavior, carried out for the sake of other people and not conducive to increasing the adaptability of the person who performs this behavior. The term "A." introduced by the French philosopher O. Comte as opposed to the concept of "egoism". Comte connected the concept of self-interest with the formation of a person's ability to resist his own egoism in the name of people's interests through education. As a moral principle, A. is proclaimed by some philosophical and religious teachings (Buddhism, Christianity), is contained in the views of many thinkers (J.-J. Rousseau, J.-V. Goethe, L.N. Tolstoy, E. Fromm, etc. .). In the psychoanalysis of Z. Freud, A. is considered as a neurotic compensation for the so-called. primitive egoism subjected to repression. In modern psychology and sociobiology, the question is raised about the phylogenetic roots of selfless behavior in the animal world, about the "pedigree of A.", (V.I. Efroimson), about the altruistic strategy of individual behavior as necessary for the survival of the entire species (J. Wilson, P. V. Simonov). The mechanism of manifestations And. can be various. As a rule, A.'s acts are determined by situational altruistic attitudes, which are actualized in various actions of the subject in specific dangerous situations (for example, saving a child at the cost of his own life). In the case when A. is determined by a semantic attitude, it becomes a conscious value orientation that determines the behavior of the individual as a whole. Then A. turns into the meaning of the life of the individual (for example, the worldview and activity of A. Schweitzer). A.'s manifestations can be associated with a direct threat to the interests of the individual and even to her life. These circumstances significantly complicate the experimental study of the phenomenon of A. and force psychologists to turn to the analysis of external forms of behavior - help, generosity, care, etc. - without deep penetration into the motivational sphere of personality. The real significance of an individual's altruistic behavior is determined by the nature of those values that underlie his relationships with people. A. can act as an important moment in the socio-psychological manifestation of humane relations.
V.V. Abramenkov
Definitions, meanings of the word in other dictionaries:
Philosophical Dictionary
Selfless concern for the welfare of others and readiness to sacrifice one's personal interests for others. According to: "... altruism is fundamentally different from love, in exchange for which it was invented. It requires love for another, abstract person for the sole reason that this is another ...
Philosophical Dictionary
a term created in 1830 by Comte and meaning disinterested concern for the welfare of one's neighbor. Signs of altruism: affection, respect, kindness. In the opinion of the compiler of the dictionary, it is one of the forms of manifestation of human wisdom. - the principle of moral behavior (opposite ...
Philosophical Dictionary
(from lat. alter - another) - in ethics, a characteristic of a person’s non-selfish actions, which expresses his readiness and ability of a person to act in the interests of other people, leaving his personal interest in the background. There is no consensus in philosophy about the source and ...
The latest philosophical dictionary
ALTRUISM (fr altruisme, lat alter - other) is a moral principle based on the recognition of the natural connectedness of people through an innate sense of sympathy. At the same time, the other, endowed with the status of the ethical dominant of my entire existence, is seen as the embodiment of universal human A...
Psychological Encyclopedia
A term proposed by R. Triever to designate a concept that is best expressed in the Golden Rule: Do to others the way you would like them to do to you. The term is used primarily in sociobiology, where the main subject ...
