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Experimental Tests for the Existence of Altruism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2023

C. Daniel Batson
C. Daniel Batson*
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
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Extract

I wish to describe a program of research designed to provide experimental evidence for or against the existence of altruisrn in humans (also see, Batson 1991). Whether such an enterprise is at all newsworthy—or at all worth doing—depends, of course, on what one means by altruism.

I have worked with the following definition: Altruism is a motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing another's welfare. I have juxtaposed altruism to egoism, defined as a motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing one's own welfare. Altruism and egoism, thus defined, have much in common. Each refers to goal-directed motivation; each is concemed with the ultimate goal of this motivation; and for each, the ultimate goal is to increase someone's welfare.

Type
Part III: Altruism: Evolutionary and Psychological
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1992 , Issue 2: Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers 1992 , 1993 , pp. 68 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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References

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