Question Is there a logical explanation for why one ought to be altruistic? Someone tried to logically prove to me why one ought to be altruistic. I found a list of logical fallacies here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies and I'd like to know which one's apply to what he wrote. This is what he wrote... "You should be altruistic because in the long run it will be beneficial not only to society, but also to yourself. Being altruistic fosters and encourages a society in which people help those in need of help, which ultimately means you will be helped when you need it. Conversely, altruism also encourages a society where negative acts against others are discouraged, meaning for yourself that you are less likely to be attacked, stolen from, killed, raped, etc. On the evolutionary level it means that a society that protects and helps each other, and does not ransack his fellow man whenever he deems it beneficial to himself in the short run, has a greater chance of survival, both for the group as a whole, as well as for the individual within that group, which in the end leads to a much increased probability of reproduction, which is the ultimate evolutionary goal of any individual being." Thank You.

Accepted:
November 1, 2012

Comments

There are lots of questions we can ask about this argument, but I'd suggest that trying to shoehorn the issues into specific named fallacies isn't as helpful as just looking for places where the argument raises questions.. (It's interesting that in my experience, at least, philosophers invoke the names of fallacies only slightly more often than the average educated person does.) That said, here are a couple of quick thoughts.

The first sentence offers two broad reasons for being altruistic: because in the long run it benefits both society and yourself. Take the first bit: if someone didn't already think they should be altruistic, how persuasive would they find being told "You should be altruistic because it benefits society"? If you want to turn to fallacy lists, is this a case of begging the question? (Don't be too quick just to answer yes. Think about the ways in which wanting to benefit society and acting altruistically might differ.) Turning to the next reason, is it incoherent to think someone might decide to be altruistic in order to benefit themselves? (Once again, don't answer too quickly. There are some subtleties here.) And finally, think about the last sentence. It tells us that an increased probability of reproduction is the "ultimate evolutionary goal of any individual being." Ask yourself: is there a clear or simple connection between evolutionary "goals," whatever exactly those may be, and an individual's own goals? Could a reasonable person have goals that differed from supposed evolutionary goals?

The paragraph you quoted sounds like the kind of thing a philosophy teacher might set for her students as an analytic exercise. For that reason, I've treated your question in the way I'd treat it if I had set the exercise and if you were my student: I haven't told you how to answer; I've suggested what you might find it useful to think about. Whether you're a student or not, I hope that actually is useful.