Altruism 'in-built' in humans

BBC News ^ | 3 March 2006 | Helen Briggs

[Antonello]

In experiments reported in the journal Science, toddlers helped strangers complete tasks such as stacking books.

Young chimps did the same, providing the first direct evidence of altruism in non-human primates.

Altruism may have evolved six million years ago in the common ancestor of chimps and humans, the study suggests.

[Antonello]

Ping just in case you're interested.

[aynrandfreak]

Oh, then it must not be virtuous.

[Iam1ru1-2]

altruism? All-true-ism? There is no truth at all to evilution. It takes a Neandrathal to believe it exists.

[sayfer bullets]

Well, then that settles it.

No more need for taxes.

[socialismisinsidious]

Here is the same story written by someone else:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1589430/posts


Interesting. I wondered on the other thread and again when reading this story: What must Peter Singer be thinking? Hopefully whatever it is it will cause enough of a conundrum to make his head explode.

[bvw]

Altruism may have evolved six million years ago in the common ancestor of chimps and humans, the study suggests

A conclusion that is a leap of faith. Religious in toto.

[Old Professer]

This was up earlier and all I can see is that it begs the term, altruism; supposedly this neutral researcher provided no rewards while staging very elaborate displays of clumsiness and a group of 25 18 month-old toddlers came rushing to the klutze's rescue.

What is carefully avoided as a control on the toddler's behavior is the first 17 months of their lives and the situations already experienced therein.

Who's to say the kids didn't expect a pat on the head?

[numberonepal]

No more need for taxes.

I know you weren't being sarcastic. This is spot on.

[TWohlford]

John Galt speaks:


(clearing throat)

There is no such this as altruism. Dagny was right. Everyone has some reason for their actions, even if it is self-gratification, or to please God, or out of some sense of love.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Beware of altruism. It is based on self-deception, the root of all evil.
If tempted by something that feels "altruistic," examine your motives and root out that self-deception. Then, if you still want to do it, wallow in it!
Being generous is inborn; being altruistic is a learned perversity. No resemblance.

ROBERT HEINLEIN

[Myrddin]

Altruism and collectivism are the underlying tenets of socialism and communism. In this context the state mandates altruism and confiscates every resource from an individual until all that is left is disposing of an exhausted shell.

Leave it to the BBC to lionize a putrid concept and confuse it with a volitional act of charity.

[Stirner]

Is it really altruism? If you can help someone at little cost to yourself (and even benefit from the play aspect of socially doing something with someone else), you may create a potential ally for some future time when you may be in need.

[JCEccles]

Must be true. "Science" says so. Stay tuned for next week's offering of sappy, sloppy surmisings and mushy thinking from the darwinist priesthood.

[TWohlford]

"Oh, then it must not be virtuous."

Correct.

For an act to be considered "moral" then we must decide to do it, out of our own free will. If the trait is inborn, like bodily urges or sex urges, it would cease to be virtuous, at least in some cases.

[socialismisinsidious]

actually that very issue is addressed in this article on the same topic:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060302/ap_on_re_us/helpful_babies

"Warneken never asked for the help and didn't even say "thank you," so as not to taint the research by training youngsters to expect praise if they helped. After all, altruism means helping with no expectation of anything in return."

[PatrickHenry]

I think there was a thread on this. I can't be certain. Or maybe I read the article elswehere. I donno. Anyway, this altruism stuff is a rather squishy kind of science, so I won't ping the evolution list.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

I think it's mostly learned behavior. Chimpanzees can be extremely violent towards one another and are highly territorial. Concepts like altruism are taught. The instinct of self-preservation is probably more what we're about, although we have the free will to choose to help somebody else.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

"The moral cannibalism of all hedonist and altruist doctrines lies in the premise that the happiness of one man necessitates the injury of another."

AYN RAND

[Zeroisanumber]

Anyway, this altruism stuff is a rather squishy kind of science, so I won't ping the evolution list.

Squishy, yes. But it makes sense that we would have evolved a biological tendency to cooperate.