Altruism (ethics)

In ethical philosophy, altruism (also called the ethic of altruism, moralistic altruism, and ethical altruism) is an ethical doctrine that holds that the moral value of an individual's actions depends solely on the impact of those actions on other individuals, regardless of the consequences for the actor. James Fieser states the altruist dictum as:^[1]

"An action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable to everyone except the agent."

Auguste Comte's version of altruism calls for living for the sake of others. One who holds to either of these ethics is known as an "altruist".