- Altruism is truly selfless, and it’s good.
- Altruism is truly selfless, and it’s bad.
- Altruism is enlightened self-interest, which is good.
- Altruism is disguised/corrupted/decadent self-interest, which is bad.
To illustrate further, though at the risk of oversimplifying…
One exponent of option #1 would be Auguste Comte who thought that living for others was the foundation of true morality and of the best society.[1]
An exponent of option #2 would be Ayn Rand, who thought that altruism was indeed a doctrine of selflessness, but that this was the antithesis of true morality, and a threat to people.[2]
An exponent of option #3 would be Pierre Cérésole, who felt that altruism is what results when you refine your self-interest successfully and rid it of its mistakes.[3]
An exponent of option #4 would be Nietzsche, who thought altruism was a corrupted and decadent form of selfishness, and that we would be better off if we could be more forthrightly self-interested.[4]
Knowing LessWrong, probably everyone who answers is going to choose some nuanced and galaxy-brained option #5 instead, but I thought I’d ask anyway.
- ^
Auguste Comte “General Theory of Religion” The Catechism of Positive Religion (also e.g. “Social Physics”)
- ^
Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness (also e.g. “Galt’s Speech” For the New Intellectual; “Faith and Force: The Destroyers of the Modern World” Philosophy: Who Needs It)
FWIW, in "Justice, Cherryl." @Zack_M_Davis suggests that Rand is really closer to the position I attribute to Nietzsche.
- ^
Pierre Cérésole For Peace and Truth
- ^
Friedrich Nietzsche Beyond Good and Evil, The Twilight of the Idols, etc.
Some combination of 1 and 3 (selfless/good and enlightened/good).
When we say "good" or "bad", we need to specify for whom.
Clearly (to me) our propensity for altruism evolved partly because it's good for the societies that have it, even if it's not always good for the individuals who behave altruistically.
Like most things, humans don't calculate this stuff rationally - we think with our emotions (sorry, Ayn Rand). Rational calculation is the exception.
And our emotions reflect a heuristic - be altruistic when it's not too expensive. And esp. so when the recipients are part of our family/tribe/society (which is a proxy for genetic relatedness; cf Robert Trivers).