Altruism: The purpose of humans

Is the soul reason humans keep going for themselves or is it powered for the needs of others? Are humans willing to sacrifice themselves for others or do they simply live for themselves? These two questions tie to the fundamental debate of egoism vs altruism. Egoism is the theory that self-interest is the basis of morality, whereas altruism is in the opposite- selflessness to benefit the welfare of others. Books like The Road by Cormac McCarthy, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien all question the theory of egoism. They generate the idea that altruism and the connection humans have with others is the foundation of our morals. Other facts help prove this theory too such as kin-selection in the natural world, the bible and the concept of sacrificing mental wellbeing for the welfare of others. Therefore, humans are inherently altruistic.

“Due to kin selection, baboons and many other species are altruistic. This concept of kin selection can be seen in humans too.”

In biology, species often sacrifice themselves for the fitness of their children. This is called kin selection. It boils down to the idea of the greater good, that if an animal puts their own self interest and personal fitness aside then their child can flourish and bring more to the community. A classic example of this is in baboon grooming behaviors. Female baboons are seen often grooming their relatives, but not a baboon that they have no relation to. Baboons with relatives are therefore cleaner and have higher fitness than baboons that do not have relatives to groom them. This causes a system where baboons often sacrifice their energy to groom their relatives, that energy could be used for themselves in many other ways like forging for food or attracting a mate. Instead of acting for themselves baboons act for the good of their relatives, boosting their relatives’ fitness, not their own. Due to kin selection, baboons and many other species are altruistic. This concept of kin selection can be seen in humans too. An example is in The Road by Cormac McCarthy. In the novel the father sacrifices himself for his son, putting his body between his son and a flying arrow. This act of self sacrifice decreased his personal fitness, as he became injured but saved his son. The father also says “My job is to take care of you…I will kill anyone who touches you” (McCarthy 77). The man acts not for himself but for his son. He puts his own life and personal wellbeing on the line, therefore acting altruistically for the good of his son. Hester Prinn from The Scarlet Letter acts in the same manner to protect her daughter Pearl. Before Pearl, Hester committed what was a horrible crime at that time, adultery. But after Pearl was born Hester found a new meaning in life: looking after Pearl. This ultimately stopped her from committing more crimes, “The child saved her from the Satan’s snare” (Hawthorne 97). Pearl’s entrance into Hester’s life caused her to stop going down the path of crime and get back on track. But the cost of spending her own life looking after Pearl was her emotional and physical decline. She became frail, appeared older and showed less emotions after she started looking after Pearl, her fitness decreased for the wellbeing of her daughter. She acted altruistically risking her social and emotional life for her daughter. Through these two examples it is clear that what drives humans is the need to help others.

Additionally, one characteristic that all humans share is the phenomenon of making mistakes that might go against overarching morals. These mistakes and the reaction to those mistakes are what ultimately prove that humans are driven by the idea of self-sacrifice and improving the welfare of others. An example of this can be seen in the wartime novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. In the novel one of the main characters, Kiowa, dies because of the actions of Norman Bowker. This plunges Bowker into a period of grief and depression afterward, he is so consumed with guilt from the passing of Kiowa that he kills himself. Norman Bowker realized that he acted selfishly and made the wrong choice, which is what makes him altruistic. O’Brien realizes that, “Bowker had been braver than he ever thought possible, but how he had not been so brave as he wanted to be. The distinction was important” (O’Brien 147). Bowker is driving around thinking of the mistakes that have occurred in his life. He is so consumed with guilt that he cannot even say that he is mourning the death of Kiowa. Instead he says the sadness is due to him not winning the “Silver Star,” a prestigious military prize given to those who act in extreme bravery. This inability to even say how it feels is generated, explains the true extent of his guilt. O’Brien explains how Bowker did not act as brave as he wanted to, which shows where his morals lie. His morals lie in putting others before himself, also known as acting altruistically. But since he could not succeed in this, he is put in a position where he cannot describe or explain his own shame and guilt. This example can be seen in people everywhere, on the same or a lower explanation. Whether it is accidentally tripping someone or forgetting to make dinner, humans feel guilty for hurting or not looking after someone else. This guilt is generated by morals and altruism, the need to help others even at the expense of themselves.

Everyone strives to reach their bigger morals. Some people use the bible as guidance, some use authors and philosophers and even more just use guidance from their own self. Either way morals drive people to act the way they act. One basic moral taught to everyone at a young age is to act selflessly and put others’ well being before themselves. It is seen in the bible with “love thy neighbor”. One should respect the needs of the people around them just as greatly as they regard their needs. This means that people should not act selfishlessly but to help the people around them. Martin Luther King Jr said in his final speech before his assassination: “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” Martin Luther King Jr believed acting altruistically is the only way to live a fulfilling life. In these ways altruism is rooted in the human mind from the beginning as it drives most basic morals. This idea of morality and altruism being tied together can be seen in the boy in The Road. The boy follows morals as he is always wanting to help the people he and his father come across on the road. The boy wants to help people even if it does not benefit him and holds him back. “Can we help him Papa” (McCarthy 50), the boy asks as they pass a man who has been struck by lightning. The man will not benefit them but the boy still wants to help him because he is driven by his morals. If the boy was egoistic and not altruistic he would not have even asked to help the dying man. Through the boy, the altruism apparent in everyone’s morals is seen.

For these reasons humans are altruistic. Humans, just like animals, sacrifice their own fitness for the good of their relatives and children. They realize their own selfishness, like Norman Bowker, which is the ultimate proof of altruism. Humans follow guiding morals that teach them to put others needs before their own. Altruism is the driving for survival for humans, as self-interest alone is not enough to keep humans alive. A world without anyone else would be a world unlivable, since the only thing that makes it worth living is the people they surround themselves with. Whether it is a mother sacrificing her physical health for her children, a man killing himself from the guilt of selfishness or a young boy realizing the pain and suffering that other people feel, selflessness is what humans live for.

Works Cited
Griffin, A. S. “Kin Selection.” ScienceDirect.com | Science, Health and Medical Journals, Full Text Articles and Books, Brenner’s Encyclopedia of Genetics, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/kin-selection. Accessed 2013.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Courier Corporation, 1994.
McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. Vintage, 2007.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. HarperCollins, 2009.
Riley, Dorothy W. My Soul Looks Back, ‘less I Forget: A Collection of Quotations by People of Color. Harpercollins, 1993.