55-454: (Redirected from Benevolent ) [REDACTED] Look up benevolence or benevolent in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Benevolence or Benevolent may refer to: Benevolent (band) Benevolence (phrenology) , a faculty in the discredited theory of phrenology "Benevolent" (song) , a song by Tory Lanez Benevolence (tax) ,
110-532: A 63% lower likelihood of dying. After controlling for prior health status, it was determined that volunteerism accounted for a 44% reduction in mortality. Merely being aware of kindness in oneself and others is also associated with greater well-being. A study that asked participants to count each act of kindness they performed for one week significantly enhanced their subjective happiness. Happier people are kinder and more grateful, kinder people are happier and more grateful and more grateful people are happier and kinder,
165-574: A forced loan imposed by English kings from the 14th to 17th centuries USS Benevolence (AH-13) , a Haven -class hospital ship Benevolence, Georgia , a community in the United States See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Wikiquote has quotations related to Benevolence . Altruism Good and evil Mettā , benevolence in Buddhism Omnibenevolence Ren (Confucianism) Topics referred to by
220-441: A form of religious sacrifice and ithar (altruism). For Sufis , 'iythar means devotion to others through complete forgetfulness of one's own concerns, where concern for others is deemed as a demand made by God on the human body, considered to be property of God alone. The importance of 'iythar (also known as īthār ) lies in sacrifice for the sake of the greater good; Islam considers those practicing īthār as abiding by
275-562: A framework is the purpose of creation, and everything that happens is to raise humanity to the level of altruism, love for one another. Ashlag focused on society and its relation to divinity . Altruism is essential to the Sikh religion. The central faith in Sikhism is that the greatest deed anyone can do is to imbibe and live the godly qualities such as love, affection, sacrifice, patience, harmony, and truthfulness. Sevā , or selfless service to
330-461: A major topic for psychologists (especially evolutionary psychology researchers), evolutionary biologists , and ethologists . Whilst ideas about altruism from one field can affect the other fields, the different methods and focuses of these fields always lead to different perspectives on altruism. In simple terms, altruism is caring about the welfare of other people and acting to help them, above oneself. Marcel Mauss 's essay The Gift contains
385-408: A mathematical model and analysis of behavioral strategies. Some of the proposed mechanisms are: Such explanations do not imply that humans consciously calculate how to increase their inclusive fitness when doing altruistic acts. Instead, evolution has shaped psychological mechanisms, such as emotions, that promote certain altruistic behaviors. The benefits for the altruist may be increased, and
440-473: A passage called "Note on alms". This note describes the evolution of the notion of alms (and by extension of altruism) from the notion of sacrifice. In it, he writes: Alms are the fruits of a moral notion of the gift and of fortune on the one hand, and of a notion of sacrifice, on the other. Generosity is an obligation, because Nemesis avenges the poor and the gods for the superabundance of happiness and wealth of certain people who should rid themselves of it. This
495-467: A person is in need and feel personal responsibility for reducing the person's distress. The number of bystanders witnessing pain or suffering affects the likelihood of helping (the Bystander effect ). More significant numbers of bystanders decrease individual feelings of responsibility. However, a witness with a high level of empathic concern is likely to assume personal responsibility entirely regardless of
550-559: A person's actions cause karma, which consists of consequences proportional to the moral implications of their actions. Deeds considered to be bad are punished, while those considered to be good are rewarded. The fundamental principles of Jainism revolve around altruism, not only for humans but for all sentient beings. Jainism preaches ahimsa – to live and let live, not harming sentient beings, i.e. uncompromising reverence for all life. It also considers all living things to be equal . The first Tirthankara , Rishabhdev , introduced
605-444: A person's environment and values. A recent meta-analysis of fMRI studies conducted by Shawn Rhoads, Jo Cutler, and Abigail Marsh analyzed the results of prior studies of generosity in which participants could freely choose to give or not give resources to someone else. The results of this study confirmed that altruism is supported by distinct mechanisms from giving motivated by reciprocity or by fairness. This study also confirmed that
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#1732844373819660-583: A positive one (although positive effects were still significant). Older humans were found to have higher altruism. Both genetics and environment have been implicated in influencing pro-social or altruistic behavior. Candidate genes include OXTR ( polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor ), CD38 , COMT , DRD4 , DRD5 , IGF2 , AVPR1A and GABRB2 . It is theorized that some of these genes influence altruistic behavior by modulating levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine . According to Christopher Boehm , altruistic behaviour evolved as
715-418: A self-sacrificial nature to altruism and a lack of external rewards for altruistic behaviors. However, because altruism ultimately benefits the self in many cases, the selflessness of altruistic acts is difficult to prove. The social exchange theory postulates that altruism only exists when the benefits outweigh the costs to the self. Daniel Batson , a psychologist, examined this question and argued against
770-488: A song by Tory Lanez Benevolence (tax) , a forced loan imposed by English kings from the 14th to 17th centuries USS Benevolence (AH-13) , a Haven -class hospital ship Benevolence, Georgia , a community in the United States See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Wikiquote has quotations related to Benevolence . Altruism Good and evil Mettā , benevolence in Buddhism Omnibenevolence Ren (Confucianism) Topics referred to by
825-446: A soul, great care and awareness is essential in one's actions. Jainism emphasizes the equality of all life, advocating harmlessness towards all, whether the creatures are great or small. This policy extends even to microscopic organisms. Jainism acknowledges that every person has different capabilities and capacities to practice and therefore accepts different levels of compliance for ascetics and householders. Thomas Aquinas interprets
880-519: A synonym of selflessness, the opposite of self-centeredness . The word altruism was popularised (and possibly coined) by the French philosopher Auguste Comte in French, as altruisme , for an antonym of egoism . He derived it from the Italian altrui , which in turn was derived from Latin alteri , meaning " other people " or "somebody else". Altruism, as observed in populations of organisms,
935-512: A very important moral value. Buddhism , Christianity , Hinduism , Islam , Jainism , Judaism , and Sikhism , etc., place particular emphasis on altruistic morality. Altruism figures prominently in Buddhism. Love and compassion are components of all forms of Buddhism, and are focused on all beings equally: love is the wish that all beings be happy, and compassion is the wish that all beings be free from suffering. "Many illnesses can be cured by
990-529: A way of surviving within a group. "Sociologists have long been concerned with how to build the good society". The structure of our societies and how individuals come to exhibit charitable, philanthropic, and other pro-social, altruistic actions for the common good is a commonly researched topic within the field. The American Sociology Association (ASA) acknowledges public sociology saying, "The intrinsic scientific, policy, and public relevance of this field of investigation in helping to construct 'good societies'
1045-705: A way to gain social reward or avoid social punishment by helping. People with empathic concern help others in distress even when exposure to the situation could be easily avoided, whereas those lacking in empathic concern avoid allowing it unless it is difficult or impossible to avoid exposure to another's suffering. Helping behavior is seen in humans from about two years old when a toddler can understand subtle emotional cues. In psychological research on altruism, studies often observe altruism as demonstrated through prosocial behaviors such as helping , comforting, sharing , cooperation, philanthropy , and community service . People are most likely to help if they recognize that
1100-444: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages benevolence [REDACTED] Look up benevolence or benevolent in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Benevolence or Benevolent may refer to: Benevolent (band) Benevolence (phrenology) , a faculty in the discredited theory of phrenology "Benevolent" (song) ,
1155-444: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Altruism Altruism is the principle and practice of concern for the well-being and/or happiness of other humans or animals largely independent of that person's opinion of or reaction to oneself. While objects of altruistic concern vary, it is an important moral value in many cultures and religions . It may be considered
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#17328443738191210-439: Is evoked by the empathic desire to help someone suffering. Feelings of empathic concern are contrasted with personal distress, which compels people to reduce their unpleasant emotions and increase their positive ones by helping someone in need. Empathy is thus not selfless since altruism works either as a way to avoid those negative, unpleasant feelings and have positive, pleasant feelings when triggered by others' need for help or as
1265-518: Is possible in human psychology is a subject of debate. The theory of psychological egoism suggests that no act of sharing , helping , or sacrificing can be truly altruistic, as the actor may receive an intrinsic reward in the form of personal gratification . The validity of this argument depends on whether such intrinsic rewards qualify as "benefits". The term altruism can also refer to an ethical doctrine that claims that individuals are morally obliged to benefit others. Used in this sense, it
1320-538: Is present in some theological schools within Catholicism. The aim and focus of Christian life is a life that glorifies God, with obeying Christ's command to treat others equally, caring for them and understanding eternity in heaven is what Jesus' Resurrection at Calvary was all about. Many biblical authors draw a strong connection between love of others and love of God. John 1:4 states that for one to love God one must love his fellow man, and that hatred of one's fellow man
1375-496: Is the ancient morality of the gift, which has become a principle of justice. The gods and the spirits accept that the share of wealth and happiness that has been offered to them and had been hitherto destroyed in useless sacrifices should serve the poor and children. In the Science of ethology (the study of animal behaviour), and more generally in the study of social evolution , altruism refers to behavior by an individual that increases
1430-444: Is the same as hatred of God. Thomas Jay Oord has argued in several books that altruism is but one possible form of love. An altruistic action is not always a loving action. Oord defines altruism as acting for the other's good, and he agrees with feminists who note that sometimes love requires acting for one's own good when the other's demands undermine overall well-being. German philosopher Max Scheler distinguishes two ways in which
1485-421: Is unquestionable". This type of sociology seeks contributions that aid popular and theoretical understandings of what motivates altruism and how it is organized, and promotes an altruistic focus in order to benefit the world and people it studies. How altruism is framed, organized, carried out, and what motivates it at the group level is an area of focus that sociologists investigate in order to contribute back to
1540-438: Is usually contrasted with egoism , which claims individuals are morally obligated to serve themselves first. Effective altruism is the use of evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to benefit others. The concept of altruism has a history in philosophical and ethical thought. The term was coined in the 19th century by the founding sociologist and philosopher of science Auguste Comte , and has become
1595-506: Is when an individual performs an action at a cost to itself (in terms of e.g. pleasure and quality of life, time, probability of survival or reproduction) that benefits, directly or indirectly, another individual, without the expectation of reciprocity or compensation for that action. Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of loyalty or concern for the common good . The latter are predicated upon social relationships, whilst altruism does not consider relationships. Whether "true" altruism
1650-519: The National Institutes of Health and LABS-D'Or Hospital Network, provided the first evidence for the neural bases of altruistic giving in normal healthy volunteers, using functional magnetic resonance imaging . In their research, they showed that both pure monetary rewards and charitable donations activated the mesolimbic reward pathway, a primitive part of the brain that usually responds to food and sex. However, when volunteers generously placed
1705-450: The Price equation , a mathematical equation used to study genetic evolution. An interesting example of altruism is found in the cellular slime moulds , such as Dictyostelium mucoroides . These protists live as individual amoebae until starved, at which point they aggregate and form a multicellular fruiting body in which some cells sacrifice themselves to promote the survival of other cells in
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1760-442: The common good , the good of the whole, more than any private good, the good of a part. However, he thought we should love God more than ourselves and our neighbours, and more than our bodily life—since the ultimate purpose of loving our neighbour is to share in eternal beatitude : a more desirable thing than bodily well-being. In coining the word "altruism", as stated above, Comte was probably opposing this Thomistic doctrine, which
1815-577: The fitness of another individual while decreasing the fitness of the actor. In evolutionary psychology this term may be applied to a wide range of human behaviors such as charity , emergency aid , help to coalition partners, tipping , courtship gifts, production of public goods , and environmentalism . Theories of apparently altruistic behavior were accelerated by the need to produce ideas compatible with evolutionary origins. Two related strands of research on altruism have emerged from traditional evolutionary analyses and evolutionary game theory :
1870-435: The activity and social integration it encourages. One study examined the physical health of mothers who volunteered over 30 years and found that 52% of those who did not belong to a volunteer organization experienced a major illness while only 36% of those who did volunteer experienced one. A study on adults aged 55 and older found that during the four-year study period, people who volunteered for two or more organizations had
1925-447: The amygdala is larger than in typical adults. Altruists' amygdalas are also more responsive than those of typical adults to the sight of others' distress, which is thought to reflect an empathic response to distress. This structure may also be involved in altruistic choices due to its role in encoding the value of outcomes for others. This is consistent with the findings of research in non-human animals, which has identified neurons within
1980-953: The amygdala that specifically encode the value of others' outcomes, activity in which appears to drive altruistic choices in monkeys. The International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences defines psychological altruism as "a motivational state to increase another's welfare". Psychological altruism is contrasted with psychological egoism , which refers to the motivation to increase one's welfare. In keeping with this, research in real-world altruists, including altruistic kidney donors, bone marrow donors, humanitarian aid workers, and heroic rescuers findings that these altruists are primarily distinguished from other adults by unselfish traits and decision-making patterns. This suggests that human altruism reflects genuinely high valuation of others' outcomes. There has been some debate on whether humans are capable of psychological altruism. Some definitions specify
2035-443: The biblical phrase "You should love your neighbour as yourself" as meaning that love for ourselves is the exemplar of love for others. Considering that "the love with which a man loves himself is the form and root of friendship", he quotes Aristotle that "the origin of friendly relations with others lies in our relations to ourselves",. Aquinas concluded that though we are not bound to love others more than ourselves, we naturally seek
2090-429: The brain. One brain region, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex / basal forebrain , contributes to learning altruistic behavior, especially in people with trait empathy . The same study identified a link between giving to charity and the promotion of social bonding. Bill Harbaugh, a University of Oregon economist, in an fMRI scanner test conducted with his psychologist colleague Dr. Ulrich Mayr, reached
2145-493: The concept of altruism for all living beings, from extending knowledge and experience to others to donation, giving oneself up for others, non-violence, and compassion for all living things. The principle of nonviolence seeks to minimize karmas which limit the capabilities of the soul. Jainism views every soul as worthy of respect because it has the potential to become Siddha ( God in Jainism ). Because all living beings possess
2200-399: The costs reduced by being more altruistic towards certain groups. Research has found that people are more altruistic to kin than to no-kin, to friends than strangers, to those attractive than to those unattractive, to non-competitors than competitors, and to members in-groups than to members of out-groups. The study of altruism was the initial impetus behind George R. Price 's development of
2255-450: The creator or God. Kabbalah defines God as the force of giving in existence . Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto focused on the "purpose of creation" and how the will of God was to bring creation into perfection and adhesion with this force of giving. Modern Kabbalah developed by Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag , in his writings about the future generation , focuses on how society could achieve an altruistic social framework. Ashlag proposed that such
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2310-686: The fruiting body. Selective investment theory proposes that close social bonds, and associated emotional, cognitive, and neurohormonal mechanisms, evolved to facilitate long-term, high-cost altruism between those closely depending on one another for survival and reproductive success. Such cooperative behaviors have sometimes been seen as arguments for left-wing politics, for example, by the Russian zoologist and anarchist Peter Kropotkin in his 1902 book Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution and Moral Philosopher Peter Singer in his book A Darwinian Left . Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman , neuroscientists at
2365-414: The groups it studies and "build the good society". The motivation of altruism is also the focus of study; for example, one study links the occurrence of moral outrage to altruistic compensation of victims. Studies show that generosity in laboratory and in online experiments is contagious – people imitate the generosity they observe in others. Most, if not all, of the world's religions promote altruism as
2420-490: The highest degree of nobility. This is similar to the notion of chivalry . A constant concern for God results in a careful attitude towards people, animals, and other things in this world. Judaism defines altruism as the desired goal of creation. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook stated that love is the most important attribute in humanity. Love is defined as bestowal , or giving, which is the intention of altruism. This can be altruism towards humanity that leads to altruism towards
2475-403: The interests of others before their own by making charitable donations, another brain circuit was selectively activated: the subgenual cortex/ septal region . These structures are related to social attachment and bonding in other species. The experiment suggested that altruism is not a higher moral faculty overpowering innate selfish desires, but a fundamental, ingrained, and enjoyable trait in
2530-553: The number of bystanders. Many studies have observed the effects of volunteerism (as a form of altruism) on happiness and health and have consistently found that those who exhibit volunteerism also have better current and future health and well-being. In a study of older adults, those who volunteered had higher life satisfaction and will to live, and less depression , anxiety , and somatization . Volunteerism and helping behavior have not only been shown to improve mental health but physical health and longevity as well, attributable to
2585-445: The one medicine of love and compassion. These qualities are the ultimate source of human happiness, and the need for them lies at the very core of our being" ( Dalai Lama ). The notion of altruism is modified in such a world-view, since the belief is that such a practice promotes the practitioner's own happiness: "The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes" (Dalai Lama). In Buddhism,
2640-463: The right ventral striatum is recruited during altruistic giving, as well as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, bilateral anterior cingulate cortex , and bilateral anterior insula , which are regions previously implicated in empathy . Abigail Marsh has conducted studies of real-world altruists that have also identified an important role for the amygdala in human altruism. In real-world altruists, such as people who have donated kidneys to strangers,
2695-401: The same conclusions as Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman about giving to charity, although they were able to divide the study group into two groups: "egoists" and "altruists". One of their discoveries was that, though rarely, even some of the considered "egoists" sometimes gave more than expected because that would help others, leading to the conclusion that there are other factors in charity, such as
2750-419: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Benevolence . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benevolence&oldid=1197439767 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2805-419: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Benevolence . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benevolence&oldid=1197439767 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
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#17328443738192860-622: The small, the poor, the weak, and the oppressed is really disguised hatred, repressed envy, an impulse to detract, etc., directed against the opposite phenomena: wealth, strength, power, largesse." In the Arabic language , " 'iythar " (إيثار) means "preferring others to oneself". On the topic of donating blood to non-Muslims (a controversial topic within the faith), the Shia religious professor, Fadhil al-Milani has provided theological evidence that makes it positively justifiable. In fact, he considers it
2915-513: The social exchange theory. He identified four significant motives: to ultimately benefit the self (egoism), to ultimately benefit the other person (altruism), to benefit a group (collectivism), or to uphold a moral principle ( principlism ). Altruism that ultimately serves selfish gains is thus differentiated from selfless altruism, but the general conclusion has been that empathy -induced altruism can be genuinely selfless. The empathy-altruism hypothesis states that psychological altruism exists and
2970-427: The strong can help the weak. One way is a sincere expression of Christian love, "motivated by a powerful feeling of security, strength, and inner salvation, of the invincible fullness of one's own life and existence". Another way is merely "one of the many modern substitutes for love,... nothing but the urge to turn away from oneself and to lose oneself in other people's business". At its worst, Scheler says, "love for
3025-609: The study suggests. While research supports the idea that altruistic acts bring about happiness, it has also been found to work in the opposite direction—that happier people are also kinder. The relationship between altruistic behavior and happiness is bidirectional. Studies found that generosity increases linearly from sad to happy affective states. Feeling over-taxed by the needs of others has negative effects on health and happiness. For example, one study on volunteerism found that feeling overwhelmed by others' demands had an even stronger negative effect on mental health than helping had
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