It does not say that about his enemies or rivals.
In all too many cases sympathy for the less fortunate becomes a cause of hate.
For example
Karl Marx, in The
Communist Manifesto wrote:-
The Communists disdain to conceal
their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be
attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social
conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution.
The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a
world to win.
It is not a message of love or much altruism either. Peter Frost tells us that
the White Man's
Burden has become a millstone round our neck. He is right.
PS
Fred explains
Pathological Altruism in plain English as is his
wont. He views it as genetically determined, rather like Left
& Right in politics. He gives us an easy read.
Altruism
ex Wiki
Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of
concern for the
welfare of others. It is a traditional
virtue in many
cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions and secular
worldviews, though the concept of "others" toward whom concern should be
directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism or selflessness is the
opposite of
selfishness.
Altruism in biological organisms can be defined as an individual performing
an action which is at a cost to themselves (e.g., pleasure and quality of life,
time, probability of survival or reproduction), but benefits, either directly or
indirectly, another third-party individual, without the expectation of
reciprocity or compensation for that action.
Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of
loyalty, in
that whilst the latter is predicated upon social relationships, altruism does
not consider relationships. Much debate exists as to whether "true"
altruism is possible in human psychology. The theory of
psychological egoism suggests 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 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, and has become a major topic for
psychologists (especially
evolutionary psychology
researchers),
evolutionary biologists, and
ethologists.
Pathological Altruism
QUOTE
A simple concept that could
revolutionize scientific and social thought.
By
James Taranto
June 14, 2013
Earlier this
week Oakland's Oakley published a fascinating paper, "Concepts and
Implications of Altruism Bias and Pathological Altruism," in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science............
Oakley defines pathological altruism as "altruism in which attempts to
promote the welfare of others instead result in unanticipated harm." A
crucial qualification is that while the altruistic actor fails to anticipate
the harm, "an external observer would conclude [that it] was reasonably
foreseeable." Thus, she explains, if you offer to help a friend move, then
accidentally break an expensive item, your altruism probably isn't
pathological; whereas if your brother is addicted to painkillers and you
help him obtain them, it is.
As the latter example suggests, the idea of "codependency" is a subset of
pathological altruism. "Feelings of empathic caring . . . appear to lie at
the core of . . . codependent behavior," Oakley notes. People in codependent
relationships genuinely care for each other, but that empathy leads them to
do destructive things.
Yet according to Oakley, "the vital topic of codependency has received
almost no hard-science research focus, leaving 'research' to those with
limited or no scientific research qualifications." That is to say, it is
largely the domain of pop psychology. "It is reasonable to wonder if the
lack of scientific research involving codependency may relate to the fact
that there is a strong academic bias against studying possible negative
outcomes of empathy."
That is a provocative charge, and one that Oakley levels more generally
at the scientific establishment:........
"Empathy," Oakley notes, "is not a uniformly positive attribute. It is
associated with emotional contagion; hindsight bias; motivated reasoning;
caring only for those we like or who comprise our in-group (parochial
altruism); jumping to conclusions; and inappropriate feelings of guilt in
noncooperators who refuse to follow orders to hurt others." It also can
produce bad public policy:
Ostensibly well-meaning governmental policy promoted home ownership, a
beneficial goal that stabilizes families and communities. The
government-sponsored enterprises Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae allowed
less-than-qualified individuals to receive housing loans and encouraged
more-qualified borrowers to overextend themselves. Typical risk–reward
considerations were marginalized because of implicit government support.
The government used these agencies to promote social goals without
acknowledging the risk or cost. When economic conditions faltered, many
lost their homes or found themselves with properties worth far less than
they originally had paid. Government policy then shifted . . . the cost
of this "altruism" to the public, to pay off the too-big-to-fail banks
then holding securitized subprime loans. . . . Altruistic intentions
played a critical role in the development and unfolding of the housing
bubble in the United States.
The same is true of the higher-education bubble. As
we've
argued, college degrees became increasingly necessary for entry-level
professional jobs as the result of a well-intentioned Supreme Court decision
that restricted employers from using IQ tests because of their "disparate
impact" on minorities.
Universities altruistically established admissions standards that
discriminated in favor of minorities, a policy that proved pathological
because under qualified minority students struggled to succeed and even
qualified ones face the stigma of being assumed to be "affirmative action"
beneficiaries. The institutions tried to help by setting up separate
orientations, which of course only reinforced their separation from the
broader student body.
Best of the Web Today columnist James Taranto on readers'
responses to his June 14 column "Pathological Altruism."
And when, in 2003, the discriminatory admissions standards faced a
constitutional challenge, the Supreme Court upheld them. In
Grutter v. Bollinger, a five-justice majority declared that
administrators' declaration of altruistic intent--"obtaining the educational
benefits that flow from a diverse student body"--was sufficient to meet the
court's purportedly exacting standard of "strict scrutiny." It was left to
Justice Anthony Kennedy, in dissent, to note the absence of "empirical
evidence." The court is currently revisiting the question--
Fisher v. Texas is expected to be decided in the next few
weeks--and one hopes that, if it stands by the "diversity" rationale,
Kennedy will finally succeed in imposing some scientific rigor.
Pathological altruism is at the root of the liberal left's crisis of
authority, which we discussed in our
May 20
column. The left derives its sense of moral authority from the
supposition that its intentions are altruistic and its opponents' are
selfish. That sense of moral superiority makes it easy to justify immoral
behavior, like slandering critics of President Obama as racist--or using the
power of the Internal Revenue Service to suppress them. It seems entirely
plausible that the Internal Revenue Service officials who targeted and
harassed conservative groups thought they were doing their patriotic duty.
If so, what a perfect example of pathological altruism.
Oakley concludes by noting that "during the twentieth century, tens of
millions [of] individuals were killed under despotic regimes that rose to
power through appeals to altruism." An understanding that altruism can
produce great evil as well as good is crucial to the defense of human
freedom and dignity.
UNQUOTE
One example of allegedly well meant philosophy is Karl Marx
whose writing was used to kill 85 to 100 million - see
The Black Book of Communism on the
point.
Self-Interest ex Wiki
Self-interest generally refers to a focus on the needs
or desires (interests) of the self. A number of
philosophical,
psychological, and
economic
theories examine the role of self-interest in motivating human action.
Enlightened
Self-Interest ex Wiki
Enlightened self-interest is a philosophy in
ethics which
states that persons who act to further the interests of others (or the interests
of the group or groups to which they belong), ultimately serve their own
self-interest. It has often been simply expressed by the belief that an
individual, group, or even a
commercial
entity will "do well by doing good".
Pathological Altruism Among White People
Links to articles on the subject.
Pathological Altruism On Steroids In Sweden
We have been discussing
pathological altruism among Whites quite a bit lately on
TOO [
The Occidental Observer ]. So I thought we had
pretty much covered that insanity. But this film by Red Ice Radio shows we
have barely scratched the surface. In my
previous article I noted that there was already a huge housing
crisis that severely impacted ordinary Swedes. Now we learn that no
sacrifice by the Swedes is too much. A new Stockholm will have to be built
within 11 years. Everything that can be turned into housing for immigrants
should be, including churches (while mosques are being built). The
government buys virtually any standing structure to be turned into immigrant
housing, and there are proposals to confiscate vacation homes “for the
greater good.” Meanwhile, Swedes have a lower priority for housing than
immigrants, and thousands can’t find an apartment.........
It is vitally important that we come to grips with this suicidal
phenomenon which is more common in Northern Europeans. It has nothing to do
with Christianity. Sweden is the most secular country in the world, and its
elites are hostile to Christianity and more than happy to donate Christian
churches to the non-Christian newcomers, or destroying them to make housing
for them. Rather, it is a new secular religion of moral consensus. They are
behaving like the Puritans and
Quakers, as discussed in
my talk, but without the religious veneer.
Of course, while the costs to taxpayers are enormous, the “immigrant
industry” is massively incentivized for entrepreneurs who are able to rent
housing to the government.
Three Psychological Mechanisms Of White Dispossession
Professor MacDonald
explains three techniques used
to exploit our better feelings to our disadvantage. The corresponding method
used again Russian peasants was a weakness for vodka.
Pathological Altruism - The Road to Hell Really Is Often Paved With Good Intentions
QUOTE
In a remarkably interesting new paper, “Concepts
and implications of altruism bias and pathological altruism,” in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Oakland University systems
engineer Barbara Oakley
argues that intentions to help people all too often hurt them. Unintended harm
is the outcome of she what calls pathological altruism. She defines
pathological altruism “as behavior in which attempts to promote the welfare of
another, or others, results instead in harm that an external observer would
conclude was reasonably foreseeable.” In her study Oakley explores the
psychological and evolutionary underpinnings of empathy and altruism and how
they can go wrong. It turns out that pathological altruism is a pervasive
problem affecting public policy.
As Oakley explains:
Good government is a foundation of large-scale societies; government
programs are designed to minimize a variety of social problems. Although
virtually every program has its critics, well designed programs can be
effective in bettering people’s lives with few negative tradeoffs. From
a scientifically-based perspective, however, some programs are deeply
problematic, often as a result of superficial notions on the part of
program designers or implementers about what is genuinely beneficial for
others, coupled with a lack of accountability for ensuing programmatic
failures. In these pathologically altruistic enterprises, confirmation
bias, discounting, motivated reasoning, and egocentric certitude that
our approach is the best—in short, the usual biases that underlie
pathologies of altruism—appear to play important roles.
The above list of pathologies afflicting public policy sounds all too
familiar. Although Oakley doesn’t bluntly say so, the modern welfare state
can be conceived of as being largely a collection of enterprises conjured
into existence by pathological altruism. Social security – discourages
citizens from saving and is going bankrupt. Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP,
ObamaCare, employer based health insurance - a dysfunctional system of third
party payments that boosts overall health care costs without fostering
improved care or services. AFDC (now defunct but replaced by lots of other
programs) – encouraged single motherhood and near-permanent unemployment.
Subsidized student loans - enable university bureaucracies to enlarge
without improving educational outcomes. Obviously some people have benefited
from these programs, but it is at least arguable that the unanticipated
consequences, e.g., bankruptcy, dysfunctional families, higher unemployment,
worse medical care, and so forth, are likely to overwhelm the good
intentions behind them.
In the context of scientific research, Oakley notes…
…that those possessing altruism bias would be most strongly biased to
object to the very concept of altruism bias. Research has shown the near
impossibility of reaching biased individuals using rational approaches,
no matter their level of education or intelligence; such attempts can be
likened to squaring the circle.
In another vein, researchers from outside a given discipline, and who
are thus less vested in the theories of that domain themselves, could
initiate studies to determine whether insufficient statistics,
exaggerated claims, drawing the wrong conclusions from other papers, or
using data selectively to confirm hypotheses might differ among studies
that relate to disciplinary biases or moral issues (many hard-science
topics ultimately impact issues of deep moral concern) versus those that
do not. Within scientific disciplines, the appearance of
group-norm–enforcing signed petitions could be used as indicators of the
potential for pathologies of altruism; such petitions might communicate
important, albeit unintended, information about the health of a
discipline.
Are entire disciplines shaped by papers that are not submitted
because of legitimate fears of rejection?
With regard to that last question, I recently had a disheartening, but
not surprising, discussion with a niece who has just begun graduate work in
archaeology at a leading university. Her program is located in the
anthropology department. We were talking about some recent studies that are
trying to apply insights from evolutionary psychology to various issues in
anthropology. She informed me that her professors so loathed evolutionary
psychology that mentioning it could destroy her career. In the wake of that
conversation, my wife gave her a copy of anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon’s
new book,
Noble Savages: My Life Among Two Dangerous Tribes – The Yanomamö and the
Anthropologists, covered in a brown paper wrapper.
Oakley further argues:
Is it possible that some social advocacy and social justice efforts
result in the same types of pernicious effects on a societal scale so
that efforts to build cooperation instead inhibit it? We often do not
know, because well-meaning advocates have made raising those questions a
taboo. Framing issues in the form of pathologies of altruism and
altruism bias forms a mechanism for breaking through the taboo and
making dispassionate studies of when helping is truly helping and when
it is contributing inadvertent harm.
Oakley concludes by reminding us…
… it is important to note that during the twentieth century, tens of
millions individuals were killed under despotic regimes that rose to
power through appeals to altruism. The study of pathological altruism,
in other words, is not a minor, inconsequential offshoot of the study of
altruism but instead is a topic of overwhelming scientific and public
importance.
Earnest good intentions are not enough: bring data instead.
For more background on how experimental social science can improve public
policy, see my
review of
Uncontrolled: The Surprising Payoff of Trial-and-Error for Business,
Politics, and Society, by Jim Manzi.
UNQUOTE
Socialism starts with concern for the down
trodden then becomes hate of the oppressors. It is often, even usually
misguided by cunning rogues.
Enlightened
Self-Interest Explained
By James B. Steenbergen
Graduate Student, Center on Philanthropy at
Indiana University
Definition
Enlightened self-interest was a concept that
Alexis de
Tocqueville discussed in his work
Democracy
in America. The
notion he held was that Americans voluntarily join together in
associations to further the interests of the group and, thereby, to
serve their own interests. Using "self-Interest rightly understood"
(Tocqueville 1835) to describe this concept, he combined the right of
association with the virtue to do what was right. The following passage
from Democracy in America sums up the concept of enlightened
self-interest:
The Americans, on the contrary, are fond of explaining almost all
the actions of their lives by the principle of interest rightly
understood; they show with complacency how an enlightened regard for
themselves constantly prompts them to assist each other, and
inclines them willingly to sacrifice a portion of their time and
property to the welfare of the state. (Ibid., 647)
Enlightened self-Interest poses the question of whether or not it is
to the advantage of a person to work for the good of all. Murphy asserts
that it is not a natural inclination to do so, but learned through
practice (2002). Yet, the answer may lie in the evidence that the virtue
of working together is useful to those involved.
Historic Roots
To understand the significance of enlightened self-interest, one must
look at the political and social atmosphere that existed in France
during Tocqueville's time period. Tocqueville grew up and was educated
in a period of French history marked by revolutions, political turmoil,
and centralized rule. His maternal grandfather and an aunt had been
guillotined and his parents imprisoned by the time of the French
Revolution (Hutchins and Adler 1964).
In writing about the concept of enlightened self-interest,
Tocqueville aimed at a better explanation of the uniqueness of America
and its institutions. He also aimed at critiquing the popular
philosophical and political notions of his French contemporaries. As a
concept, enlightened self-interest was a response to egoism,
individualism, and the prohibition of political associations. French
aristocracy and the political elite viewed political associations as
dangerous to the state. In America, local liberties prevailed; they
often took the shape of political associations. Local liberty encouraged
individuals to participate together in defining and addressing their
needs and aspirations (Kincaid 1999). French aristocracy prohibited
their existence under the auspices that creating these associations
would encourage insurrection against leadership.
Yet, this same leadership encouraged civil associations. The
aristocracy believed that encouraging individuals to participate in
civil associations would take their mind off the political ills of the
time. Aristocracy believed that encouraging these types of associations
would make citizenry more apt to concern themselves with worldly
pursuits. Tocqueville considered this to be a reflection of the popular
philosophical sentiment of the time: egoism. He described this concept
as individualism that had no bounds (Elazar 1999). However,
Tocqueville's contention was that, without freedom to participate in
both types of associations, people would be hesitant to join in
association with each other. As a result, the civil society would not
flourish.
Importance
The importance of Tocqueville defining this concept cannot be weighed
lightly. Simultaneously, he accurately described the current
philanthropic attitude of Americans and he criticized the current
political reality of France. He attacked some of the key claims of the
French aristocracy by asserting that freedom to form political dissent
groups would actually encourage national stability by re-enforcing
notions of democracy. Furthermore, Tocqueville's concept of enlightened
self-interest helped to provide an accurate description of the
foundational history of the nonprofit sector in America.
Ties to the Philanthropic Sector
The nonprofit sector flourishes today because of the concept that
people working together can not only serve their own interest, but can
also serve the community as a whole. In addition, much of today's
corporate philanthropy rests upon a base of enlightened self-interest.
For example, corporations give contributions to scholarship programs.
They do this to educate their future workers. These same corporations
may also support cultural programs in the cities where their corporate
headquarters are located; one motivation for their doing so may be to
make those cities more attractive to the people they are recruiting to
work for them.
Key Related Ideas
- Civil society
- Classic liberalism: a philosophy that espouses the belief
that in a good society there is freedom for all; this individual
freedom leads to prosperity. Classic liberal American document is
the Bill of Rights.
- Egalitarianism: A belief that all people are equal by
nature.
- Local liberty
- Self-interest rightly understood
Important People Related to the Topic
Tocqueville's travel to America was commissioned by Louis Philippe,
called the "citizen king" because he was enthroned as a result of the
Revolution. He was to be accompanied by Gustave de Beaumont, a
close friend, to study the prison system in America.
Upon returning from America, he wrote Democracy in America. A
leading British philosopher, John Stuart Mill, considered
Tocqueville one of the premier thinkers of the time.
Tocqueville ascribed to the philosophy of classic liberalism. Other
thinkers, notable classic liberal philosophers of the time included:
John Locke, Adam Smith, and Friedrich von Hayek.
Related Nonprofit Organizations
The Alexis de Tocqueville Institution (visit at
http://www.adti.net)
serves as a modern platform for many of the concepts to which
Tocqueville prescribed. It has "studied the spread and perfection of
democracy around the world." The institution believes in the "basic
goodness, perfectibility, and nobility of mankind and of the human
community" (Alexis de Tocqueville Institution 2002).
Related Web Sites
The mission of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and
Liberty is "to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by
individual liberty and sustained by religious principles" (Acton
Institute 2003). The Institute Web site, at
http://www.acton.org,
presents information on its programs, research, publications, and public
policy positions.
The Alexis de Tocqueville Tour Exploring Democracy in America Web
site, at
http://www.tocqueville.org/ gives extensive coverage of
Tocqueville's life, world, and his travels in America; his most famous
passages from Democracy in America are found on the site.
The Alexis de Tocqueville Society Web site gives information
on membership, awards, events, and benefits reserved for contributors
who donate $10,000 or more, annually, to the United Way (http://national.unitedway.org/tocqueville/).
Bibliography and Internet Sources
Acton Institute for
the Study of Religion and Liberty. About the Acton Institute.
[cited 9 January 2003]. Available from
http://www.acton.org/about/.
Alexis de
Tocqueville Institution. Mission Statement. [updated September
2002; cited 29 September 2002]. Available from
http://www.adti.net/mission.html.
Elazar, Daniel
(1999, June) "Tocqueville and the cultural basis of American Democracy."
Political Science and Politics. [updated June, 1999; cited 22 September
2002]. Available from
http://www.findarticles.com.
Hutchins, Robert M.
and Mortimer J. Adler. The Great Ideas of Today. Chicago:
Encyclopedia Britannica Press, 1964.
Kincaid, John (1999,
June) "Federal Democracy and Liberty." Political Science & Politics.
[updated June 1999; cited 22 September 2002]. Available from
http://www.findarticles.com.
Murphy, Tom. "An
Anger and A Brute: Self Interest and Individualism in Tocqueville's
America." [updated 22 September 2002; cited 29 September 2002].
Available from http://www.brtom.org.
Salamon, Lester
[cited 13 January 2003]. Available from
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itdhr/0198/ijde/salamon.htm.
Tocqueville, Alexis
de. Democracy in America. (Originally published 1835). Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2000. ISBN: 0226805328.
This paper was developed by a student taking a Philanthropic Studies
course taught at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
It is offered by Learning To Give and the Center on
Philanthropy at Indiana University.
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