Altruism

Paper Summary:

The paper researches the degree to which pure altruism, untainted by the selfish issues of group identity or personal gain, may indeed exist. The paper discusses the difficulty in attempting a definition of altruism and illustrates the differences between practical altruism and pure altruism. The paper looks at human activity towards animals and contends that we are not being altruistic for alternative reasons. The paper maintains that there is a uniquely inexplicable altruism at work present in those who have dedicated their lives to volunteering with animal rescue, caring for sick or injured animals, or otherwise sacrificing personal time, money and effort for animals.

Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review
Research Design

From the Paper:

"The recent events with Hurricane Katrina sparked a nation-wide charitable reaction. Individuals and private organizations rushed to the rescue with a speed that put the tax-payer supported local and national governments to shame. While systems specifically designed to serve and protect their citizens struggled to do so, thousands of altruistic individuals moved immediately to the rescue. People across the country opened their hearts to those displaced by the hurricane in a truly spectacular way, many times crossing the usual borders of race and socioeconomic status to volunteer their efforts and their money."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Batson, C.D. (1992) Experimental Tests for the existence of altruism. PSA: Proceedings of the biennial meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers: 69-78.
• Berger, P.L. (1992) A Far Glory: The Quest for Faith in an Age of Credulity. Free Press.
• Boulding, K.E. (1973) The Economy of Love and Fear. Wadsworth Publishing Company.
• Darlington, P.J. (1978) Altruism: Its charactersitics and evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 75.1: 385-389.
• Disabled Dogs Yahoo Group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DisabledDogs

More papers on Altruism:

• Persuasive Essay # 129818 : "The Nature of Altruism"
• Analytical Essay # 136833 : "Altruism and Modern Living"
• Term Paper # 121641 : "Reciprocal Altruism"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: