Altruistic is the quality or behavior that is given to a person who helps another (s) without intention or motivation from external factors to expect anything in return; thus being able to sacrifice his own well-being in order to achieve the good of others.
The altruistic word was accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy in 2017.
Altruista derives from the French altrui and means “of the others” or “the others”.
Some examples of acts performed by an altruistic person are: helping someone who is in danger, donating blood, food, hair and organs, or even giving their life, because they are actions that are done to meet the need of the other without waiting no reward for it.
Several synonyms for altruist are philanthropist, selfless, generous, and benevolent ; while some of its antonyms are selfish , narcissistic, and egotistical .
Meaning of altruist in Philosophy
The term was first coined in the 19th century by the French philosopher Augusto Comte to define an attitude completely contrary to selfishness.
In this area, it is important to note that, according to some philosophers such as Stuart Mill, it was postulated that the human being is not naturally altruistic, but must be subsequently instructed to be so.
However, there were other important philosophers such as Jean Jacques Rousseau who contradicted this postulate, stating that the human being is naturally an altruistic individual.
Meaning of altruistic in Ethology and Evolutionary Biology
The term altruistic is used in Ethology and Evolutionary Biology to refer to the ability and behavior on the part of animals to put their lives at risk only to protect the other members of their species or group.
However, this theory is somewhat incoherent, since it does not explain why altruistic behaviors occur towards unrelated individuals, that is, they do not share the same genetic information.