Altruism: Its Nature and Varieties

The lectures examine the nature and varieties of altruism, surveying philosophical and religious sources and testing claims that self-interest and benevolence are opposed. They trace three stages of the altruistic impulse in everyday life, assessing varying degrees of dignity and the ways self-regard shapes generous acts. Close chapters analyze manners, gift-giving, defects of giving, mutuality, love, and justice as distinct expressions and problems of altruistic practice. The work proposes a conjunct self in which altruism and egoism coexist and balance, and it offers practical ethical reflections aimed at clarifying when and how self-regard must be reconciled with genuine concern for others.