The Causes of Altruism Essay -- Psychology

How do humans actually behave when faced with the finality to help others? The innate desire that compels humans to help is called altruism by psychologists. Through this feeling, humans transform from a selfish jerk to a more compassionate and caring person. Some psychologists believe that this feeling stems from record itself. Despite the fact that some altruistic acts originate from the pressures of society, altruism preponderantly comes from the extract of the fittest, the feeling of empathy, and the selfish desire to benefit your own kin. to begin with a case arse be made for the causes of altruism, altruism itself mustiness first be defined. Most leading psychologists agree that the definition of altruism is a motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing others welfare. (Batson, 1981). The only way for a person to be genuinely altruistic is if their intent is to help the community before themselves. However, the only intimacy humans can see is the act ions themselves, and so, selfish intent may count the same as altruistic intent. Alas, the only way that altruism can be judged is if the intent is obvious. Through that, we must conclude that only reliable intents can be defined as altruistic, and as intent stemming from constitution benefits the group while other intent benefits yourself, only actions caused by genius are truly altruistic.Some psychologists believe that altruism stems from evolution, or the survival of the fittest. They point to examples where ants will willingly bury themselves to seal the anthill from opposed attacks, or the honeybees sting. That sting rips out the honeybees own internal organs, and has been described as instruments of altruistic self-sacrifice. Although the individual dies, the bee... ...ence for self-sacrifice Toward a Pluralism of Prosocial Motives. Psychological head 2.2 (1991) 107-122. Web. 5.Feb. 2012.Dach-Gruschow, Karl Otto. Peace on Earth and grace Toward Men Altruism of Long Te rm Volunteers Diss. University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamaign, 2011. Print. Gintis, Herbert, Samuel Bowles, Robert Boyd, and Ermst Fehr. Explaining Altruistic carriage in Humans. Evolution and Human Behavior 24 (2003) 153-172. Web. 5 Feb. 2012Nunney, Len. sort out Selection, Altruism, and Structured-Deme Models. The American Naturalist 126.2 (1985) 212-230. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.Rushton, J. Philippe. Is Altruism Innate? Psychological Inquiry 2.2 (1991) 141-143. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.Thomas, George and C. Daniel Batson. Effect of Helping Under Normative Pressure on Self-Perceived Altruism. Social Psychology Quarterly 44.2 (1981) 127-131. Web. 5 Feb. 2012