Will (law)

Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an extremely important role in human societies. Both anthropology and sociology have made detailed studies in this area. Many cultures feature patrilineal succession, also known as gavelkind, where only male children can inherit. Some cultures also employ matrilineal succession only passing property along the female line. Even more radical than the patrilineal succession is the practice of primo ...

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Altruism is either a practice or habit (in the view of many, a virtue) as well as an ethical doctrine. In Buddhism it is also seen as a fundamental property of human nature. Altruism can refer to: being helpful to other people with little or no interest in being rewarded for one's efforts (the colloquial definition). This is distinct from merely helping others. actions that benefit others with a net detrimental or neutral effect on the actor, regardless of the actor's own psychology, moti ...

Including:

• Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics
• Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology
• Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology
• Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat
• Altruism - Altruism in politics
• Altruism - Altruism and religion

Read more here: » Altruism: Encyclopedia - Altruism

If one performs an act beneficial to others with a view to gaining some personal benefit, then it is not an altruistically motivated act. There are several different perspectives on how "benefit" (or "interest") should be defined. A material gain (e.g. money, a physical reward, etc.) is clearly a form of benefit, while others identify and include both material and immaterial gains (affection, respect, happiness ...

See also:

Altruism, Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics, Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology, Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology, Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat, Altruism - Altruism in politics, Altruism - Altruism and religion

Read more here: » Altruism: Encyclopedia II - Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology

If one is an adherent to the ethical doctrine called altruism (that people have an ethical obligation to help or further the welfare of others), then one will support the kind of politics that one believes to be most effective in furthering the welfare of others, regardless of the effect this may have on oneself. Since there is no general consensus on what kind of politics results in the greatest benefit for others, different a ...

See also:

Altruism, Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics, Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology, Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology, Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat, Altruism - Altruism in politics, Altruism - Altruism and religion

Read more here: » Altruism: Encyclopedia II - Altruism - Altruism in politics

The word will can refer to: Will (law), a legal document expressing the desires of the author with regard to the disposition of property after the author's death Living will, a legal document expressing the desires of the author with regard to medical decisions, invoked in the event that the author is incapacitated and unable to act on her own behalf Will (philosophy), a philosophical concept, "the quality or instance that produces conscious and intended actions." Will (sociol

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Studying the simple strategy "Tit for tat" in the iterated prisoner's dilemma problem, game theorists argue that "Tit for tat" is much more successful in establishing stable cooperation among individuals than altruism, defined as unconditional cooperation, can ever be. "Tit for tat" starts with cooperation in the first step (as altruism does) and then just imitates the behaviour of the partner step by step. If the partner cooperates, then he rewards him with cooperation, if he doesn' ...

See also:

Altruism, Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics, Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology, Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology, Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat, Altruism - Altruism in politics, Altruism - Altruism and religion

Read more here: » Altruism: Encyclopedia II - Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat

The word "altruism" (French, altruisme, from autrui: "other people", derived from Latin alter: "other") was coined by Auguste Comte, the French founder of positivism, in order to describe the ethical doctrine he supported. He believed that individuals had a moral obligation to serve the interest of others or the "greater good" of humanity. Comte says, in his Catechisme Positiviste, that "[the] social point of view cannot tolerate the notion of rights, for such notion rests on individualism. We are born under a load of obligations o ...

See also:

Altruism, Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics, Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology, Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology, Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat, Altruism - Altruism in politics, Altruism - Altruism and religion

Read more here: » Altruism: Encyclopedia II - Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics

In the science of ethology (the study of behavior), altruism refers to behavior by an individual that increases the fitness of another individual while decreasing the fitness of the actor. This would appear to be counter-intuitive if one presumes that natural selection acts on the individual. Natural selection, however, acts on the gene pool of the subjects, not on each subject individually. Recent developments in game theory have provided some explanations for apparent altruism, as have traditional evolutionary analyses. Among the proposed ...

See also:

Altruism, Altruism - Altruism in philosophy and ethics, Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology, Altruism - Altruism in psychology and sociology, Altruism - Comparison of Altruism and Tit for Tat, Altruism - Altruism in politics, Altruism - Altruism and religion

Read more here: » Altruism: Encyclopedia II - Altruism - Altruism in ethology and evolutionary biology