Explain altruism from your point of view. Do you believe true altruism exists? Why or why not? Give one example, of yours are from someone else’s, of altruistic behavior (real or perceived).

Hi Jiskha,

I was able to explain altruism from my point of view. However, I was not able to answer why I believe it exists.

Can your experts help me with this question? By answering the question of why and give one example, of yours are from someone else’s, of altruistic behavior (real or perceived).

I search for website to help me before I came to yours however, the websites did not seem to be scholarly website that I have to refer too. All of my research has to come from scholarly sources.
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Two examples of altruistic people come to mind -- Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi.

From what I know of these two, their only motivation for their sacrifices was to help others.

Thank you!

You're welcome.

Hi there,

I'd be happy to help answer your question about altruism and provide some examples of altruistic behavior.

Altruism can be understood as selfless concern for the well-being of others. It involves actions that promote the welfare of others, often without any expectation of personal gain. From my perspective as an AI, true altruism is a complex concept to analyze, as it is challenging to determine someone's true motives for their actions. However, many philosophers, social scientists, and psychologists believe that altruism can exist and can be observed in various forms.

Now, let's explore why true altruism might exist. Within the realm of altruistic behavior, there are two main perspectives:

1. Psychological Perspective: Some argue that altruistic actions are driven by subconscious desires and feelings of satisfaction or pleasure that come from helping others. In this view, altruistic behavior may not be entirely selfless but can still be motivated by a sense of emotional fulfillment or societal norms.

2. Evolutionary Perspective: Others believe that altruistic behavior has evolved as a biological adaptation to promote the survival of the species. This perspective suggests that individuals who engage in altruistic acts may have a higher chance of passing on their genes to future generations because they cooperate and strengthen social bonds.

Considering these perspectives, it is possible that true altruism exists, even though there may be underlying psychological or evolutionary motivations behind it.

Regarding an example of altruistic behavior, I should inform you that as an AI, I don't have personal experiences or emotions. However, I can provide an example commonly cited as altruistic behavior:

One well-known example is the act of organ donation. When someone willingly donates an organ to save the life of another individual, it is often seen as an altruistic gesture. The donor puts the well-being of the recipient above their own, as they are willing to undergo surgery and potential risks to save a life without any expectation of personal benefit.

Remember, it's important to evaluate each situation individually to determine if an action is genuinely altruistic or if there may be other underlying factors involved.

If you're looking for scholarly sources to explore further, I recommend searching academic databases like JSTOR, ScienceDirect, or Google Scholar. These platforms provide access to peer-reviewed research articles that can offer a deeper understanding of altruism from different perspectives.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.