Altruism, Fact or Fiction?: An Exploration of Altruism and Egoism in the Context of Religion and Service Learning

“It is a feeling common to all mankind that they cannot bear to see others suffer…. This feeling of distress (at the suffering of others) is the first sign of Humanity.”— Mencius (as cited in Kohn, 1990, p. 63) Many writers share Mencius ’ perspective, believing human beings are intrinsically motivated to help when they become aware of other people’s sufferings. Of course, there are also many who deny the reality of altruism, believing people consistently act in selfish ways due to a nebulously defined concept of “human nature, ” a notion defined by theories regarding the evolutionary advantages associated with self-centeredness (why would natural selection select for creatures who are self-sacrificing, especially if their act of sacrifice would mean they would be killed without producing offspring?), or because, as social psychologist Alfie Kohn postulates, theories supporting altruism are dismissed by scientists and the public alike as well-meaning fluff (Kohn, p. 36). This question is complicated further by disagreement among members of the scientific community about what altruism is, and about what actions can b