Altruism () is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others.

Altruism is the opposite of selfishness.

Altruism is a motivation to provide something of value to a party who must be anyone but oneself, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual ( e. g., a god, a king ), or collective ( e. g., a government ).

Altruism that ultimately serves selfish gains is thus differentiated from selfless altruism, but the general conclusion has been that empathy-induced altruism can be genuinely selfless.

The American Sociology Association ( ASA ) acknowledges Public sociology saying, " The intrinsic scientific, policy, and public relevance of this field of investigation in helping to construct ' good societies ' is unquestionable " (" Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity ".

In coining the word Altruism, as stated above, Comte was probably opposing this Thomistic doctrine, which is present in some theological schools within Catholicism.

* What is Altruism?

* Altruism, ultimately, denies an individual value and is therefore destructive both to society and its individual components, viewing life merely as a thing to be sacrificed.

" Altruism is defined as " a concern for the welfare of others.

Altruism is known to increase from rarity when relatedness ( R ) exceeds the ratio of the cost ( C ) to the altruist ( in this case, the cell giving up its own reproduction by differentiating ), to the benefit ( B ) to the recipient of altruism ( the germ line of the colony, that reproduces as a result of the differentiation ), i. e. R > C / B ( see Hamilton's rule ).

So while the Humean thesis may be a truth about explanation it is not true about the structure of justification and it ought to be replaced by Nagel's motivated desire theory as set out in his The Possibility of Altruism ( Oxford University Press, 1970 ).

Altruism towards an unrelated group is not widely accepted in the scientific community, but rather can be seen as a sort of reciprocal altruism, expecting the same behavior from others, a benefit of living in a group.

Kents Hill School is committed to values-based education, promoting the school's ten Core Values in every facet of school life: Altruism, Compassion, Courage, Friendship, Honesty, Perseverance, Responsibility, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Tolerance.

The top of the medal reads: " Nestekjærlighet er realpolitikk " ( English: Altruism is Realpolitik )

Altruism is a well-documented animal behaviour, which appears most obviously in kin relationships but may also be evident amongst wider social groups, in which an animal sacrifices its own well-being for the benefit of another animal.

Theologians of note in the denomination whose work on science and religion shows the promise of cooperation include Thomas Jay Oord ( Science of Love, The Altruism Reader ), Michael Lodahl ( God of Nature and of Grace ), and Samuel M. Powell ( Participating in God ).

Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of duty and loyalty.

* Compare Altruism ( ethics ) – perception of altruism as self-sacrifice.

Altruism, the experiment suggested, was not a superior moral faculty that suppresses basic selfish urges but rather was basic to the brain, hard-wired and pleasurable.

Altruism figures prominently in Buddhism.

Altruism was central to the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospel, especially in the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain.

" Evidence for Altruism: Toward a Pluralism of Prosocial Motives ," Psychological Inquiry 2: 107-122.

Altruism between social insects and littermates has been explained in such a way.

The Ant and the Peacock: Altruism and Sexual Selection from Darwin to Today.

Altruism with the purpose of creating friendships.

& Griffin, A. S. ( 2006 ) Quick Guide: Altruism.

" ( 1974 ), and for his contributions to deontological and liberal moral and political theory in The Possibility of Altruism ( 1970 ) and subsequent writings.

His distinctive ideas were first presented in the short monograph The Possibility of Altruism, published in 1970.

I think it is essential, however, to pinpoint here the difference between the two concepts of sovereignty that went to war in 1861 -- if only to see better how imperative is our need today to clarify completely our far worse confusion on this subject.

Often it is recognized that all the details of the pattern may not be essential to the outcome but, because the pattern was empirically determined and not developed through theoretical understanding, one is never quite certain which behavior elements are effective, and the whole pattern becomes ritualized.

And if I have gone into so much detail about so small a work, that is because it is also so typical a work, representing the germinal form of a conflict which remains essential in Mann's writing: the crude sketch of Piepsam contains, in its critical, destructive and self-destructive tendencies, much that is enlarged and illuminated in the figures of, for instance, Naphta and Leverkuhn.

Hence government must establish greater controls upon corporations so that their activities promote what is deemed essential to the national interest.

There is essential pleasantness in reading the writing of men who are not angry, who can contend without quarreling.

Thus, circular motion is itself one of the essential characteristics of completely perfect celestial existence.

Because of these involvements in the matter at stake, Boniface lacked the impartiality that is supposed to be an essential qualification for the position of arbiter, and in retrospect that would seem to be sufficient reason why the English embassies to the Curia proved so fruitless.

In the United Nations Charter, the right of self-determination is also an essential principle.

A requirement of reasonably honest administration may be politically uncomfortable in the short run, but it is politically essential in the long run.

The Merchant Marine is the `` Fourth Arm of Defense '', for a strong and effective American Merchant Marine is essential to the economy and security of our Nation.

A blower is essential for the double-wall shelter and for the underground shelters.

A battery-powered radio is essential.

The movement of events is so fast, the pace so severe, that an attempt to peer into the future is essential if we are to think accurately about the present.

A substantial increase is estimated in the cost of operating additional communications systems in the air defense program, as well as in all programs where speed and security of communications are essential.

The second capability is represented by our deployed ground, naval, and air forces in essential forward areas, together with ready reserves capable of effecting early emergency reinforcement.

However, it is essential that the various mathematical symbols used in the equations be understood so that the mathematical processes can be done properly and in their correct order.

In analyzing the watercolors of Roy Mason, the first thing that comes to mind is their essential decorativeness, yet this word has such a varied connotation that it needs some elaboration here.

The last essential to the beginner's gymnastic program is the somersault, or forward roll.

Consultation with architects, clients, real estate men, fabric houses and furniture companies is essential to the proper development of class problems just as in actual work.