See also:

• ALTRUISM (Fr. autrui, from Lat. alter, the other of two)

ALTRUISM (Fr. autrui, from See also:

• LAT

Lat. alter, the other of two)  , a philosophical See also:

• TERM

term used in See also:

• ETHICS
• ETHICS, SHAFTESBURY, HOBBES

ethics for that theory of conduct which regards the See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good of others as the end of moral See also:

• ACTION

action . It was invented by Auguste See also:

• COMTE, AUGUSTE [ISIDORE AUGUSTE MARIE FRANCOIS XAVIER] (1798-1857)

Comte and adopted by the See also:

• ENGLISH

English positivists as a convenient See also:

• ANTITHESIS (the Greek for " setting opposite ")

antithesis to See also:

• EGOISM (from Gr. and Lat. ego, I, the 1st personal pronoun)

egoism . According to Comte the only See also:

• PRACTICAL

practical method of social regeneration is gradually to inculcate the true social feeling which subordinates itself to the welfare of others . The application to sociological problems of the See also:

• PHYSICAL

physical theory of organic See also:

• EVOLUTION

evolution further develyoped the altruistic theory . According to See also:

• HERBERT (FAMILY)
• HERBERT, GEORGE (1593-1633)
• HERBERT, HENRY WILLIAM
• HERBERT, SIR THOMAS (1606-1682)

Herbert See also:

• SPENCER
• SPENCER, HERBERT (1820-1903)
• SPENCER, JOHN CHARLES SPENCER, 3RD EARL (1782-1845)
• SPENCER, JOHNPOYNTZ SPENCER
• SPENCER, WILLIAM ROBERT (1769-1834)

Spencer, the See also:

• LIFE

life of the individual in the perfect society is identical with that of the See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state: in other words, the first See also:

• OBJECT

object of him who would live well must be to take his See also:

• PART

part in promoting the well-being of his See also:

• FELLOWS, SIR CHARLES (1799-1860)

fellows individually and collectively . Pure egoism and pure See also:

• ALTRUISM (Fr. autrui, from Lat. alter, the other of two)

altruism are alike impracticable . For on the one See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand unless the egoist's happiness is compatible to some extent with that of his fellows, their opposition will almost inevitably vitiate his perfect enjoyment; on the other hand, the altruist whose See also:

• PRIMARY

primary object is the good of others, must derive his own highest happiness—i.e. must realize himself most completely—in the fulfilment of this object . In fact, the altruistic See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea, in itself and apart from a further See also:

• DEFINITION (Lat. definitio, from de-finire, to set limits to, describe)

definition of the good, is rather a method than an end . The self-love theory of See also:

• HOBBES, THOMAS (1588–1679)

Hobbes, with its subtle perversions of the motives of See also:

• ORDINARY (med. Lat. ordinarius, Fr. ordinaire)

ordinary humanity, led to a reaction which culminated in the See also:

• UTILITARIANISM (Lat. utilis, useful)

utilitarianism of See also:

• BENTHAM, GEORGE (1800-1884)
• BENTHAM, JEREMY (1748-1832)

Bentham and the two See also:

• MILLS, JOHN (d. 1736)
• MILLS, ROGER QUARLES (1832– )

Mills; but their theory, though See also:

• SUPERIOR

superior to the extravagant egoism of Hobbes, had this See also:

• MAIN (from the Aryan root which appears in " may " and " might," and Lat. magnus, great)
• MAIN (Lat. Moenus)

main defect, according to Herbert Spencer, that it conceived the See also:

• WORLD

world as an aggregate of See also:

• UNITS, DIMENSIONS OF
• UNITS, PHYSICAL

units, and was so far individualistic . See also:

• SIR

Sir See also:

• LESLIE
• LESLIE, CHARLES (1650-1722)
• LESLIE, CHARLES ROBERT (1794–1859)
• LESLIE, FRED [FREDERICK HOBSON] (1855–1892)
• LESLIE, SIR JOHN (1766-1832)
• LESLIE, THOMAS EDWARD CLIFFE (1827-1882)

Leslie See also:

• STEPHEN
• STEPHEN (1097?-1154)
• STEPHEN (ISTVAN) BATHORY (1533-1586)
• STEPHEN, SIR JAMES (1789-1859)
• STEPHEN, SIR JAMES FITZJAMES, BART
• STEPHEN, SIR LESLIE (1832-1904)

Stephen in his See also:

• SCIENCE (Lat. scientia, from scire; to learn, know)

Science of Ethics insisted that the unit is the social organism, and therefore that the aim of moralists is not the " greatest happiness of the greatest number," but rather the " See also:

• HEALTH

health of the organism." The socialistic tendencies of subsequent thinkers have emphasized the ethical importance of altruistic action, but it must be re-membered always that it is ultimately only a See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of action, that it may be commended in all types of ethical theory, and that it is a practical See also:

• GUIDE (in Mid. Eng. gyde, from the Fr. guide; the earlier French form was guie, English " guy," the d was due to the Italian form guida; the ultimate origin is probably Teutonic, the word being connected with the base seen in O. Eng. witan, to know)

guide only when it is applied in accordance with a definite theory of "the good." Finally, he who devotes himself on principle to furthering the good of others as his highest moral See also:

• OBLIGATION

obligation is from the highest point of view realizing, not sacrificing, himself . See See also:

• WORKS

works of Comte, Spencer, Stephen, and See also:

• TEXT (Lat. textum, woven fabric, from texere, to weave)

text-books of ethics (cf. bibliography at end of See also:

• ARTICLE (from Lat. articulus, a joint)

article ET1ucs) .