trc@houti.UUCP (T.CRAVER) (08/02/83)
What is altruism? Dictionaries are authoritative sources for the meaning of words - that is not to say that they are *inherently* correct, but that the people that put them together have endeavored to provide the correct meaning, within some context (some limit themselves to modern or slang usages, while others attempt to give a full historical and etymological derivation as well). However, as is the nature of words, they can only provide a scholarly examination of what other scholars (or common people, in the case of slang and idioms) have meant by the words when using them with the greatest accuracy and precision. The following are extracted from a number of dictionaries, including most of the "standard" ones, I believe. I have slightly edited them, but have tried to keep the exact wording for definitions, and the overall intended meaning where I've left something out. I ask one favor of the reader: Ethics is the study of moral principles of action. Please note whether the following seem to be describing two opposing principles for determining whether an action is justified (IE is moral). Our library's standard reference dictionary, Webster's Third New International Dictionary (unabridged), says: altruism uncalculated consideration of, regard for, or devotion to other's interests, sometimes in accordance with an ethical principle <Christianity, which is a religion of extreme ~ - R.M. Weaver> <the conflict is between selfishness and ~ - Estes Kefauver> The Random House Dictionary of the English Language says: altruism The principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism) (synonyms given for altruistic) charitable, generous, philanthropic, disinterested, unselfish egoism 1) the habit of valuing everything only in reference to one's personal interest; selfishness (opposed to altruism) 2) egotism or self conceit 3) Ethics the view that each person should regard his own welfare as the supreme end of his actions; materialism selfish 1) devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc, regardless of others 2) characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself. self interested, self seeking, egotistic, illiberal, parsimonious, stingy The Oxford Dictionary of the English Etymology gives: altruism devotion to the welfare of others (probably suggested by the use of F. l'autrui for le bien or le droit d'autrui ) Klein's A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language says: altruism unselfish, the opposite of egoism Coined by Comte in 1830 fr. L alter 'another' egoism - self interest, selfishness The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: altruism concern for the welfare of others, as opposed to egoism; selflessness. Note that none of these states that altruism is equivalent to benevolence. Random House comes closest by stating that synonyms for altruistic include generous and philanthropic. The Random House Dictionary is also the only one I found to give the meaning of egoism for Ethics (which is what we're talking about, after all). While I agree with the first part of that definition, I also think that the second part (defining it as materialism) arises from the author's connecting mysticism with altruism, and materialism (opposed to mysticism) with egoism. I agree with the analogy, but think that most would agree that mysticism is not the same as altruism, nor is materialism, egoism. (By the way - most of the dictionaries did an admirable job of defining the concepts without imposing implicit value judgements. Random House appears to be the exception to this, using emotionally laden terms like "generous" and "parsimonious" - they could have equally used "spend-thrift" and "thrifty", as far as the meaning (disregarding emotion) goes.) I would also like to point out that the American Heritage uses an excellent synonym for altruism - selflessness. Stop and think about the *literal* meaning of that word for just a minute. Try to think of how you could justify doing anything for your "self", if by principle, you claim to be "self-less". It would be like justifying something as being done for your child, when you have claimed to be childless. Note that all the sources agree that selfishness, self interest, and egoism are opposites to altruism. All agree that altruism is concern for the welfare of others, *without mentioning* any regard for one's self, and in fact, opposed to egoism (self interest). Websters makes this opposition to self-interest explicit by calling it "uncalculated" - that is, without considering the costs to oneself. Websters also mentions the fact that altruism is "sometimes in accordance with an ethical principle", which means that though one can act altruistically without acting on explicit principles, ethical principles that require altruism do exist. Christianity is given as an example. In short, the dictionaries explicitly agree that altruism is concern for or devotion to the interests of others (I've never said it was not this) altruism is opposed to egoism/selfishness/self-interest as a moral principle for action. (Ethics is the study of moral principles for action.) Altruism and selfishness/self-interest/egoism are opposites, and so cannot both be correct. It is barely possible that neither is correct - as might be the case if they were approaching the question of the ethical basis for action somehow "perpendicularly" - by non-essentials. However, I do not believe that this is the case, nor do I believe that anyone else has really presented this case. Until someone does, I will assume that it is not so. I do not think that there is any further basis for *anyone* to claim that *both* altruism and egoism are good. If one is good, and the other bad, there can be no reason to mix the two, as any such mixture must necessarily be poorer than the better of the two opposites. So choose sides, and be consistent. I believe that I have now shown that the dictionaries do not, refute my definition, but in fact support it. Reports of the demise of my definition are a bit premature... Tom Craver houti!trc