For this argument, we choose the stance that humans are not capable of pure altruism. We are all born selfish and being selfless is like acting against once survival. Altruism is just an adaptive feature that human evolve to coexist amicably with fellow species and the environment (Sánchez & Cuesta, 2005). Altruism comes from the Latin word, ‘living for others’. This selfless act is done voluntarily by the person, without any expectation of reward and with no concern for once own wellbeing (Batson, 2014). Even rare saints who are identified as altruistic, are gaining reward in the form of worship and honor. Thus, egoism lies at the root of all altruistic behavior. The ability to sacrifice once self, probably comes from a higher consciousness about the self. Every act of altruism has some form of egoistic motive and sometimes the doer himself is not conscious about this. Some may argue that people help others out of compassion and empathy. But, these feelings could stem from the human need to preserve certain values that promote their survival. Evolutionary theories identify altruism as a product of natural selection. Self-sacrifice pays in the long run, in helping to preserve once ideas, genes or dreams.
Human behaviors are not entirely selfish. Very often they fall between egoistic and altruistic behavior. A helping act that helps to reduce personal distress like shame, fear, guilt, worries, etc., is considered an act that stems entirely from egoism. But very often, human, act on the basis of their good moods, compassion and softheartedness. Barton’s model of altruism helps to identify that empathy is not always true altruism (Monroe, 1996). Culture and social behavior of a community, can influence the extent of altruistic and egoistic behavior in the group. During the process of socialization, culture teaches the child certain behaviors that are rewarding. In most developed culture, children are thought charitable or altruistic behavior that will help them gain a rewarding experience from the social group.
References
Batson, C. (2014). The Altruism Question. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Monroe, K. (1996). The heart of altruism. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Sánchez, A. & Cuesta, J. (2005). Altruism may arise from individual selection. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 235(2), 233-240. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2005.01.006
