In this blog post, we will look at the reasons why humans choose to engage in altruistic behavior despite being instinctively self-interested beings, and the evolutionary causes behind this.
What is an “altruistic act”? In simple terms, an altruistic act is an act that benefits another person through one’s sacrifice or effort. For example, going to a disaster area as a volunteer to help those in need, donating to a person begging on the street, donating blood to people you don’t know, or donating your long-grown hair can all be considered “altruistic acts.” These examples are easy to find around us if we think about them for a moment. The acts of charity, donation campaigns, and blood donations that we often encounter in our daily lives are all part of altruistic acts, and they are of great value in that they are done for the public good of society beyond individual interests.
Altruistic behavior goes beyond simple actions and serves as one of the important foundation elements of human society. Human society cannot be maintained properly without consideration and cooperation for others, so altruistic behavior plays an essential role in building trust among members of society and further promoting the stability and development of the community. So, what does this altruistic behavior mean from the perspective of human instincts and evolutionary theory?
Humans are born with an instinct to minimize losses and maximize gains. This instinct is a natural motivation for survival and prosperity, but altruistic acts are rather against this instinct. For example, helping others at the expense of one’s own resources may seem like a loss on the surface. So why do selfless acts continue to occur in human society? Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this question, the most representative of which is the “reciprocity hypothesis.” This hypothesis states that humans are not simply selfish beings, but that they promote their own long-term interests through cooperation and consideration in reciprocal and repeated relationships.
To understand this hypothesis more specifically, let’s listen to the story of a village where people with unbent arms live. Since all the residents of this village cannot bend their arms, it is impossible for them to eat food alone. If each person tries to solve his or her own hunger, they will never be able to eat food alone without help from others. However, if they feed each other, they can finally fill their stomachs. In this situation, it is easy to see that cooperation is the only solution. In situations where helping others will eventually benefit oneself, altruistic behavior occurs naturally. The important point here is that altruistic behavior is not simply a sacrifice, but an investment for one’s own benefit in the long run.
Applying the reciprocity hypothesis, the reason why altruistic behavior is sustained in society is to increase the possibility of receiving rewards in the long run in a long-term relationship. For example, people who meet and interact frequently build trust with each other and form relationships in which they help each other out when needed. This social contract can bring greater benefits in the long run, even if it means temporarily suffering losses. In other words, it is about maintaining relationships with others through altruistic behavior and thereby creating an environment in which people can receive continuous help.
Then, as the number of altruistic acts increases, will selfish people also increase in number, enjoying the benefits of altruism? This is a problem that is certainly worth worrying about. However, according to the reciprocity hypothesis, altruistic behavior is based on conditional cooperation, not unconditional sacrifice. In other words, altruistic people help others because they consider the possibility of being helped in the same way in the future. Therefore, it is difficult for the situation in which only selfish people benefit to continue. This is because helping and receiving help while maintaining a mutual relationship is the most beneficial in the long run.
However, the reciprocity hypothesis cannot explain all altruistic acts. For example, consider the story of an old man who donated the money he had earned from begging throughout his life to help struggling students. This old man gave up his resources to help others even though he could not expect any reward from the donation. This is an example that is difficult to explain with the reciprocity hypothesis. This is because the grandfather does not have a repetitive relationship with the students he helps and cannot expect any benefit from them. This is an example of a pure form of altruistic behavior that we cannot explain, revealing the limitations of the reciprocity hypothesis.
In conclusion, the reciprocity hypothesis is a very effective theory for explaining social cooperation and altruistic behavior in many cases. This hypothesis shows that humans are not simply beings who seek only profit, but can promote long-term interests through cooperation and consideration. However, this hypothesis cannot explain all situations, and it still has limitations when it comes to true altruistic behavior involving pure sacrifice.
