Is it altruism or not?

Let’s not sacrifice indulgence for compassion – we can have both.

An examination of the basis and exploitation of charity.

In every human society, altruism, a selfless concern for the welfare of others, is considered a noble virtue. Being altruistic and helping others has great implications for the human race. As in the past, altruism will affect the very survival of the human race. As a species, can we choose to go the selfish Neanderthal way or the more altruistic Cro-Magnon way?

Everyone has heard stories of people risking their lives to save those of others, and indeed in some cases sacrificing their lives for others. The contentious issue is why does this behaviour still prevail?

On the surface it would seem that according to the theory of evolution, there would only be selfish people in this world, since time and other resources spent helping other people could have been utilised to better ensure one’s survival. But this is not true.

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

In our modern world altruism has become, metaphorically, a scapegoat accountable for the moral depravity of mankind … Whether or not humanity is morally and cognitively down-spiraling is not within the scope of this thesis.