Brandon asked:

I believe what Benjamin is trying to say [about egoism and altruism Answers 20] is that when he goes
out of his way to help someone he believes it is for his own self esteem. Since he helped someone
other than himself he feels good about it. Which could also mean that he did it for himself rather than
the person who needed help. His mind was only focused on how he would feel afterwards. That can
be considered selfishness. However, helping out others because they are in need of assistance and
not because it would make you feel better about yourself is not selfish.

Also Benjamin it is not instinctual of humans to think only of themselves in a situation where someone
else may be in trouble. It is learned. Those who are taught at early age that putting others before
themselves will do just that throughout their lives.

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But what Benjamin is worried about then is that doing something which appears altruistic for reasons
of his own self-esteem seems selfish. It is not a selfish actionas the action is other-directed. Rather
the motive to self-esteem seems wrong, or self-centred rather than other-directed.

If he feels good about his action after the event and this raises his self-esteem, he may still have
acted for the other for purely other-directed reasons at the time. Those reasons were there. There
was a need for assistance or a call to act and he duly performed. Even if he did this because of a
need to raise his self-esteem he recognised that what he was doing was right and he saw the
reasons or heard the call. There are many ways to raise self-esteem and choosing to do this by
acting altruistically is a moral and un-self-centred choice or outlet of need.

You say 'it is not instinctual of humans to think only of themselves in a situation where someone may
be in trouble. It is learned.' You mean we learn to think only of ourselves? How can this be, when we
become social beings?

Rachel Browne