Is the Human Race more prone to Altruism or Egoism

[ICantSpellDawg]

What would be a completily unselfish act? If you die because you want others to live it is still something you do because you want something.

But you don't live to benefit from their survival. It is a cynics attempt to minimize selflessness. I understand the attempt to call socially conscious opportunism by what it is, but it is a logical stretch to debase real altruism.

[Fragony]

But you don't live to benefit from their survival. It is a cynics attempt to minimize selflessness. I understand the attempt to call socially conscious opportunism by what it is, but it is a logical stretch to debase real altruism.

Well I don't actually believe what I said there about the brit throwing himselve on a grenade, just debating, me and Poor Bloody Infantry seem to be the only one who believe we are more prone to altruism then egoism, but I do believe that it is a survival strategy. There are many good people, but real altruism would require absolute selfleshness and like all absolute things I don't think it exists.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Well I don't actually believe what I said there about the brit throwing himselve on a grenade, just debating, me and Poor Bloody Infantry seem to be the only one who believe we are more prone to altruism then egoism, but I do believe that it is a survival strategy. There are many good people, but real altruism would require absolute selfleshness and like all absolute things I don't think it exists.

Your argument is confused. You can't do something altruistic for a recognized reward. Altruism is something different entirely. Egoism isn't necessarily a bad thing at all - it can cause someone to do tremendous good for everyone involved with little risk. Altruism is a different thing though; it is necessary when not everyone can benefit and someone needs to act out of self sacrifice for the greater good for no reward. Sometimes this results in the death of the actor, but it can still exist if the actor survives the ordeal.

My point is that Altruism and Egoism are absolutely distinct rather than different grades of the same impulse.

[Ironside]

My point is that Altruism and Egoism are absolutely distinct rather than different grades of the same impulse.

What's considered worth preserve and tender for:

Your life

Your family

Your friends

Your tribe/village/city/nation

Your ideals (God, Allah, Communism, Fascism, honour etc, etc)

This list is more of the thought process to more abstact things than the one before and requires more mental constructs to be valued higher than the ones before.

Personally I would say that it's a natural consequence of the first step, wich then leads with a bit of thought to "just like family" and then when you add our tendency to personification it leads to the rest.