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Is it rational to be altuistic?
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Is it rational to be altruistic? It is first important to define the term altruism. In his article ‘Egoism and Altruism’, B. Williams uses the word morality to also imply altruism and gives us a ‘minimal interpretation’ of it and refers to it as ‘ a general disposition to regard the interests of others’. He also introduces the ‘possibility of limiting one’s own projects’ as a further feature of altruism. What is meant to be rational? Williams defines it from what he calls a Kantian standpoint: the structure of practical reason. Economists hold that all decisions that are made are rational. Blackburn writes about the ‘economic man’ in ‘Looking Out for Yourself’ as a paradigm of self-interested rationality rather than a moral paradigm. Rationality seems to be equated with a form of egoism: a self-centred pursuit to fulfil your own interests. It does seem to be the argument that it is not rational to be altruistic, but just that it is more morally correct for a person to be of a more altruistic persuasion. Williams states why it wouldn’t be rational for one to be egoistic, but not why it would be rational for one to be altruistic. In ‘The Amoralist’ he does not think that it is possible to argue someone into caring about something; only would this be possible if morality ‘can be got off the ground rationally’, but I don’t see how he does that in either of his articles. Williams does not see this as defeat for reason or rationality, but instead, a defeat for humanity. Sidgwick, quoted in Mackie (in ‘Sidgwick’s Pessimism’) states a similar point, that a person who takes his own happiness or pleasure as the ultimate end ‘there seems no opening for any line of reasoning to lead him to Universalistic Hedonism’ or concern for the happiness or welfare of others than himself. Williams take a rather extreme viewpoint throughout the entire essay ‘Egoism and Altruism’, and seems on intent proving that egoism is not morally right. He does this by presenting arguments that may change a person from an egoistic standpoint to more altruistic grounds. However Williams does little to show that is it rational to be altruistic; he instead states the need for an internal and external justification of altruism – does this equate to rationality?
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