Altruism: Our Desire to Help Others Essay -- Psychology

Over the endless cycles of generations, human life has lived up to its fundamental purpose of survival. Not only have we survived as a species, but we have evolved into the most complicated species on earth. Creatures riddled with mystery, emotion, morality; we have outdone ourselves in overcoming our basic reset function of survival. We originated in the mindset of survive and reproduce only to morph into a race rooted in emotion and intricate thought. Darwin’s theory, survival of the fittest, calculates that humans basic goal and reason of life is to survive, and reproduce; to have only ones self in mind. But why then, if natural selection filters us down to survival of the fittest, might one creature stick its neck out for another? Regardless of Darwin’s theory, we have evolved into a species in which our fundamentals are ‘good’ in nature; significantly outweighing our instinct of selfish survival. Over the years, science has been able to put the human selfish instinct to the test, and divulge the truth on why we help others. A method of selflessness called altruism is the belief in complete lack of selfishness in exchange for genuine concern for the well being of others. One of the most famous and haunting stories of a person engulfing themselves in this way of life is George Price. Throughout his life, George Price was a fluctuating and ever changing scientist. Accepted to Harvard and the University of Chicago, he eventually obtained a doctorate degree in chemistry. Price worked on the Manhattan project, a program during World War I focusing on building an atomic bomb. He later went on to work in various fields such as computer science, psychology, politics, and eventually moved to London where he discovered his love for e... ... Web. 22 May 2012. James Marshall attended Bristol College and is currently teaching at Sheffield College. He earned a Doctorate in Evolutionary studies, as well as has substantial experience with computer related studies. His quote further describes the Price Equation and its affiliation with genes themselves. Weintraub, Stanley. Silent Night: The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce. New York: The Free Press, 2001. Print. Stanley Weintraub is a professor, historian, and biographer. He spent many months in Korea, during the Korean War with first hand experience on the hardships of war. He began writing after the bombing of Pear Harbor. His telling of the events of the Christmas Truce on the western front is both enlightening and accurate. The way he phrases things causes a realization that this moment was fleeting. After all, it was in the middle of a war.