DOES 'PURE ALTRUISM' EXIST?
YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED BY THE ANSWER.
IS THERE PURE ALTRUISM?
IN OTHER WORDS, ARE THERE TRULY SELFLESS GOOD
DEEDS?
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN THIS VIDEO.
YOU KNOW, JOEY AND PHOEBE TALKED ABOUT IT.
THERE'S NO UNSELFISH GOOD DEEDS, SORRY.
YES THERE ARE.
THERE ARE TOTALLY GOOD DEADS THAT ARE SELFLESS.
MAY I ASK FOR ONE EXAMPLE?
NO, YOU MAY NOT.
WELL, PHOEBE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE
RIGHT THERE, BUT WE WILL TRY TO FIND SOME
EXAMPLES IN THIS VIDEO.
MORE THAN THAT, OUR DISCUSSION WILL GO BEYOND
JUST BEHAVIORS (OR JUST GOOD DEEDS), BECAUSE
TO DETERMINE IF A SEEMINGLY SELFLESS BEHAVIOR
IS TRULY ALTRUISTIC, WE MUST ALSO TALK ABOUT
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MOTIVES THAT UNDERLIE SUCH
A BEHAVIOR IN ORDER TO SEE IF THAT BEHAVIOR
IS SELFISH OR GENUINELY AND PURELY ALTRUISTIC.
LET ME USE MY USUAL LIST-FORMAT AND LIST OUT
SEVEN THINGS I WISH TO DISCUSS.
FIRST, DEFINITION -- WHAT IS ALTRUISM?
AND BY IMPLICATION AND BY COMPARISON, WHAT
ISN'T ALTRUISM?
ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR IS BEHAVIOR THAT IS INTENDED
TO DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BENEFIT OTHERS AND
NOT THE SELF AND AT A COST TO THE SELF.
AS SUCH, PURE ALTRUISM MUST FULFILL ALL THREE
ELEMENTS OF THIS DEFINITION -- BENEFITTING
OTHERS, NOT BENEFITING THE SELF, AND AT A
COST TO THE SELF.
THIS IS A PRETTY HIGH THRESHOLD TO CROSS.
LET'S CONSIDER SOME EXAMPLES.
LET'S SAY YOU DROPPED YOUR PEN ON THE FLOOR
AND I PICKED IT UP FOR YOU.
IS THIS AN ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR?
I CAN IMAGINE MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY THIS DOES
NOT SOUND LIKE AN ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR BECAUSE
IT SIMPLY DOES NOT FULFILL THE DEFINITION
CITED ABOVE.
SURE, BY PICKING UP YOUR PEN FOR YOU I HELPED
YOU AND THIS BEHAVIOR BENEFITTED YOU.
HOWEVER, THERE IS NO COST FOR ME DOING IT.
IN OTHER WORDS, I DID NOT HAVE TO GIVE UP
ANYTHING IMPORTANT, VALUABLE, OR SUBSTANTIAL
TO ME.
SO, NO COST.
AS SUCH, ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR MUST BE DISTINGUISHED
FROM HELPING BEHAVIOR , THE DISTINCTION BEING
THIS ELEMENT OF SELF-SACRIFICE.
AND THIS SELF-SACRIFICIAL ELEMENT, OR BEING
AT COST, OR GIVING UP SOMETHING IMPORTANT
AND VALUABLE TO THE SELF, IS VERY MUCH AT
THE CORE OF ALTRUISM.
ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR IS ALWAYS HELPING OTHERS;
BUT HELPING OTHERS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ALTRUISTIC.
JUST BECAUSE I HELPED SOMEBODY OUT DOES NOT
MEAN I WAS BEING ALTRUISTIC, I WAS JUST BEING
HELPFUL.
LET'S CONSIDER ANOTHER EXAMPLE -- SAY THIS
TIME, I HELP A FRIEND IN NEED AT A COST TO
MYSELF.
IT SURE IS HELPING BEHAVIOR, BUT THIS TIME,
THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL COST TO THE SELF INVOLVED.
DOES THIS AUTOMATICALLY MAKE IT ALTRUISTIC?
WELL, NOT NECESSARILY.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE SEEMINGLY
SELFLESS HELPING BEHAVIOR IS PREDICATED UPON
LOYALTY OR FRIENDSHIP OR A PARTICULAR TYPE
OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP . PURE ALTRUISM SHOULD
NOT BE PREDICATED UPON SUCH RELATIONSHIPS
OR A SENSE OF IN-GROUP IDENTITY.
FOR BEHAVIORS TO BE TRULY SELFLESS AND PURELY
ALTRUISTIC, GROUP-IDENTITY, OR LOYALTY, OR
FRIENDSHIP, OR PATRIOTISM SHOULD NOT PLAY
A PART.
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
HAS SHOWN THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO HELP
THOSE OTHERS WHO ARE CONSIDERED AS 'IN-GROUP'
MEMBERS -- AMERICANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HELP
OTHER AMERICANS AND CHINESE ARE MORE WILLING
TO HELP CHINESE.
AS SUCH, GROUP IDENTITY, OR A SENSE OF PATRIOTIC
DUTY, OR OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
ON WHICH HELPING BEHAVIORS CAN BE PREDICATED
CAN ACTUALLY BE SEPARATED OUT OR DISTINGUISHED
FROM PURE ALTRUISM.
CONSEQUENTLY, WE SHOULD DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN
ALTRUISM ON THE ONE HAND AND LOYALTY, OR FRIENDSHIP,
OR GROUP MEMBERSHIP, OR PATRIOTISM ON THE
OTHER.
LET'S TALK ABOUT INTRINSIC REWARDS . IF ONE
WERE TO ENGAGE IN SEEMINGLY VERY ALTRUISTIC
BEHAVIORS TO BENEFIT OTHERS AT GREAT COST
TO THE SELF -- LIKE DONATING MONEY, OR DONATING
BLOOD, OR DONATING ORGANS, BUT ONE DOES SO
BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS; BECAUSE BY
DOING SO THEY CAN FEEL AT PEACE; BECAUSE BY
DOING SO THEY EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
OR SATISFACTION.
THEN, ARE THOSE BEHAVIORS PURELY ALTRUISTIC?
MANY WOULD ARGUE -- NO! THIS IS SIMPLY BECAUSE
IF THE REASON FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN SUCH
BEHAVIOR IS TO SEEK INTRINSIC REWARDS AND
SATISFACTION, THEN IT IS BENEFITING THE SELF.
AND AGAIN, PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH HAS SHOWN
THAT INTRINSIC MOTIVATION IS A VERY STRONG
AND POWERFUL FORM OF MOTIVATION; EVEN MORE
SO, IN MANY CASES, THAN EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION.
AND WHEN IT IS THOSE PERSONAL GRATIFICATIONS
AND THOSE INTRINSIC MOTIVES THAT DRIVE PEOPLE
TO ENGAGE IN ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIORS, WELL, THEY
WOULD MAKE THOSE BEHAVIORS NOT ENTIRELY OR
PURELY ALTRUISTIC.
I SHOULD ALSO BRING UP THE ISSUE OF ALTRUISTIC
BEHAVIORS IN ANIMALS AND THE EVOLUTIONARY
AND ETHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF ALTRUISM.
IT HAS BEEN OBSERVED IN NATURE THAT SOMETIMES
AN ANIMAL MAY MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
TO BENEFIT OTHERS.
WHEN FACED WITH PREDATORS, ONE INDIVIDUAL
ANIMAL MAY SACRIFICE ITS OWN LIFE SO THAT
THE REST OF THE PACK OR CLAN OR HERD CAN ESCAPE.
THUS, THE MOTIVE FOR SUCH ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR,
ALTHOUGH CLEARLY NOT TO BENEFIT THE SELF,
IS TO BENEFIT THE OFFSPRING OR THE KINSHIP
OR THE SPECIES OVERALL.
AS SUCH, RESEARCHERS TEND TO INTERPRET SUCH
BEHAVIORS FROM AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE -- THAT ANIMALS ARE CONDITIONED
TO ENGAGE IN BEHAVIORS THAT CAN PASS ALONG
THEIR GENES AND TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF
THEIR OFFSPRING AND THE SPECIES OVERALL.
AND GIVEN THIS STRONG INTRINSIC MOTIVE, AN
ANIMAL HOWLING TO CATCH THE ATTENTION OF THE
PREDATOR SO THAT ITS OFFSPRING CAN ESCAPE,
ALTHOUGH FEELS HIGHLY ALTRUISTIC TO US, IS
REALLY A MATTER OF SURVIVAL -- SURVIVAL OF
THE OFFSPRING AND SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES.
PEOPLE HAVE ALSO OBSERVED CROSS-SPECIES ALTRUISTIC
BEHAVIOR.
FOR INSTANCE, PEOPLE HAVE OBSERVED DOGS WHO
JUST GAVE BIRTH TO PUPPIES BUT HAD THE PUPPIES
TAKEN AWAY MOTHERING KITTENS.
IN SUCH CASES, IT IS NOT THAT THOSE DOGS ARE
SO ALTRUISTIC THAT THEY WANT TO BENEFIT ANOTHER
SPECIES.
RATHER, IT IS MORE LIKELY THAT THOSE DOGS
DO SO BECAUSE MOTHERING THOSE KITTENS FULFILLS
THE DOGS' NEED AND INSTINCT TO CARE FOR THEIR
OWN NEWBORNS.
AND AS SUCH, THOSE BEHAVIORS ARE NOT PURELY
ALTRUISTIC.
THERE IS A BENEFIT TO THE SELF.
HERE'S ANOTHER ARGUMENT FOR THERE ISN'T SUCH
A THING AS PURE ALTRUISM.
ACCORDING TO NEUROPSYCHOLOGISTS AND NEUROBIOLOGISTS
WHO USED FMRI TO SCAN VOLUNTEERS' BRAINS,
THEY OBSERVED THAT THE ENGAGEMENT IN ALTRUISTIC
THINKING TRIGGERED BRAIN CIRCUITS IN THE SUBGENUAL
CORTEX OR SEPTAL REGION.
THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE FINDINGS OF THEIR
EXPERIMENT SUGGEST THAT ALTRUISM IS NOT A
SUPERIOR MORAL FACULTY THAT SUPPRESSES BASIC
SELFISH URGES, BUT RATHER, IT IS BASIC TO
THE BRAIN, IT IS HARD-WIRED AND IT IS PLEASURABLE.
THAT'S WHY WE ENGAGE IN IT.
LET'S LOOK AT FINAL ARGUMENT FOR WHY PURE
ALTRUISM IS IMPOSSIBLE , WHY HUMANS ARE SIMPLY
PSYCHOLOGICALLY INCAPABLE OF PURE ALTRUISM,
AND WHY THAT IS A GOOD THING.
LOOK, IN THE EARLIER PART OF MY PRESENTATION
I MENTIONED HOW ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIORS TEND
TO PROVIDE US WITH INTRINSIC REWARDS OR A
SENSE OF PERSONAL GRATIFICATION, OR A SENSE
OF ACCOMPLISHMENT FROM DOING GOOD, OR A SENSE
OF PEACE BECAUSE WE HELPED SOMEBODY IN NEED.
WE'VE ALSO LEARNT FROM NEUROLOGICAL STUDIES
THAT EVEN THE ENGAGEMENT IN ALTRUISTIC THINKING
CAN BE PLEASURABLE, BECAUSE IT TRIGGERS CERTAIN
PARTS OF THE BRAIN.
AS SUCH, WE CAN PRETTY MUCH CONCLUDE THAT
EVERY TIME WE ARE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING ALTRUISTIC,
OR EVERY TIME WE DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING ALTRUISTIC,
WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA FEEL PRETTY GOOD
AFTERWARDS, THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE THIS INTRINSIC
REWARD, THIS SENSE OF SATISFACTION.
BUT THIS RULES OUT THE POSSIBILITY FOR US
TO EVER FULFILL THE DEFINITION THAT PURELY
ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR MUST NOT AT ALL BENEFIT
THE SELF.
BECAUSE, CHANCES ARE, THE SELF WILL ALWAYS
BE BENEFITTED BY THIS STRONG INTRINSIC REWARD
AND INTRINSIC SATISFACTION.
AND THIS MEANS THAT PURE PSYCHOLOGICAL ALTRUISM
IS JUST SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE TO ATTAIN.
BUT IS THIS REALIZATION BAD?
IS IT A BAD THING TO REALIZE WE ARE INCAPABLE
OF PURE ALTRUISM?
NO, THIS IS A GOOD THING.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE GREATEST THING TO REALIZE
-- THAT TO BENEFIT OTHERS, WE ARE BENEFITING
OURSELVES; THAT TO GIVE IS TRULY TO RECEIVE
AS WELL.
THIS IS A GOOD POINT FOR ME TO WRAP UP THIS
VIDEO.
BUT THERE IS MORE TO COVER ABOUT ALTRUISM.
IN THE NEXT VIDEO I'LL TALK ABOUT WHETHER
OR NOT THE DEFINITION OF ALTRUISM SHOULD BE
MODIFIED; WE'LL LOOK AT HOW SOME SCHOLARS
HAVE INDEED SUGGESTED THAT THIS DEFINITION
SHOULD BE TWEAKED.
WE WILL ALSO DISCUSS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
AND WHAT'S THE PRACTICAL VALUE OF FIGURING
OUT WHAT IS GENUINELY ALTRUISTIC AND WHAT
ISN'T.
I WILL ALSO LAY OUT SOME ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT
OF THE VIEW THAT PURE ALTRUISM DOES EXIST.
SO, PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MY NEXT VIDEO ON
THE TOPIC OF 'PURE ALTRUISM'.
THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS RR VIDEO, PLEASE
LIKE AND SUB, SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
MAYBE JOEY IS RIGHT, MAYBE ALL GOOD DEEDS
ARE SELFISH.
I WILL FIND A SELFLESS GOOD DEED.
I JUST GAVE BIRTH TO THREE CHILDREN AND I
WILL NOT LET ME BE RAISED IN A WORLD WHERE JOEY IS RIGHT.
