ALTRUISM: DEFINITIONS © Susan Fleck

altruism: unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Altruism
concept in philosophy and psychology that holds that the interests of others, rather than of the self, can motivate an individual. The term was invented in the 19^th century by the French philosopher Auguste Comte, who devised it as the opposite of egoism. Herbert Spencer and John Stuart Mill, English contemporaries of Comte, accepted the worth of altruism but argued that the true moral aim should be the welfare of society, rather than that of individuals.

altruism: Ethical theory that regards the good of others as the end of moral action; by extension, the disposition to take the good of others as an end in itself. . . . [after coined by Comte, it was] adopted generally as a convenient antithesis to egoism. Most altruists have held that each person has an obligation to further the pleasures and alleviate the pains of other people. The same argument holds if happiness, rather than pleasure, is taken as the end of life.

altruism: the philosophical doctrine that right action is that which produces the greatest benefit to others.

From The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979):
altruism: a moral principle of behavior; the readiness to unselfishly sacrifice one’s own interests in favor of the interests of another.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web2/Costello.html
The word altruism, which comes from the Italian altrui, was coined in 1851 by August Comte to refer to benevolence (2). Although not everyone agrees today on what precisely altruism entails, the most basic definition is seeking the welfare of others (1). This definition is often extended, however, to include the necessity of some personal sacrifice on the part of the altruist; Edward O. Wilson defined altruism as "self-destructive behavior performed for the benefit of others" (1), (3).

http://freedomkeys.com/mg-alt-selfdebate.htm
Modern ideas of Altruism versus the Self have a lot to do with French Sociologist Auguste Comte, who in the 1800's theorized that in the perfect society humans would be like ants, and those who borrowed from his ideas. Enlightenment and semi-aristotelian views almost dissappeared as far as the self was concerned. Fanatics, Kings and social reformers zeroed in on the idea that if people would obey the societal will--i.e., them--everything would be wonderful. Anything that was unpopular was soon denounced as selfish, which became equated with brutish or inconsiderate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of duty and loyalty. Altruism is a motivation to provide something of value to a party who must be anyone but oneself, while duty focuses on a moral obligation towards a specific individual (e.g., a god, a king), or collective (e.g., a government). Pure altruism consists of sacrificing something for someone other than the self (e.g. sacrificing time, energy or possessions) with no expectation of any compensation or benefits, either direct, or indirect (e.g., receiving recognition for the act of giving).

Much debate exists as to whether true altruism is possible. Some^[who?] argue that no act of sharing, helping or sacrificing can be described as truly altruistic, as the actor may receive an intrinsic reward in the form of personal gratification. The validity of this argument depends on whether intrinsic rewards qualify as 'benefits'.

The term altruism may also refer to an ethical doctrine that claims that individuals are morally obliged to benefit others. Used in this sense, it usually contrasted to egoism, which is defined as acting to the benefit of one self.

The concept has a long history in philosophical and ethical thought. The term was originally coined in the 19th century by the founding sociologist and philosopher of science, Auguste Comte . . .

Proponents of ethical altruism maintain that individuals are morally obligated to act altruistically. The opposing view is ethical egoism, which maintains that moral agents should always act in their own self-interest. Both ethical altruism and ethical egoism contrast with utilitarianism, which is the view that every individual's well-being (including one's own) is of equal moral importance.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01369a.htm
Comte, however, is the founder of the Social Eudaemonism, based on Positivism, to which the name of Altruism is given. Comte's system is both ethical and religious. Not only is the happiness to be found in living for others the supreme end of conduct, but a disinterested devotion to Humanity as a whole is the highest form of religious service. His ethical theory may be epitomized in the following propositions.

1. The dominion of feeling over thought is the normative principle of human conduct, for it is the affective impulses that govern the individual and the race.

2. Man is under the influence of two affective impulses, the personal or egoistic, and the social or altruistic.

3. A just balance between these two is not possible, one or other must preponderate.

4. The first condition of individual and social well-being is the subordination of self-love to the benevolent impulses.

5. The first principle of morality, therefore, is the regulative supremacy of social sympathy over the self-regarding instincts.

To bring about the reign of altruism Comte invented a religion which substituted for God an abstraction called Humanity. To this new supreme being, worship was to be paid, especially in its manifestations and representatives, woman, namely, and the benefactors of the race.

Altruism should not be confused with these following concepts:

benevolence: 1. An inclination to perform kind, charitable acts. 2. a. A kindly act. b. A gift given out of generosity

charity: 1. Provision of help or relief to the poor; almsgiving. 2. Something given to help the needy; alms. 3. An institution, an organization, or a fund established to help the needy.

kindness: 1. The quality or state of being kind. 2. An instance of kind behavior.
kind: 1. Of a friendly, generous, or warm-hearted nature. 2. Showing sympathy or understanding; charitable: a kind word. 3. Humane; considerate: kind to animals.

generous: 1. Liberal in giving or sharing.

compassion: 1. Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.

good will: 1. An attitude of kindness or friendliness; benevolence.