The use of the word altruism is pretty rare, but the definition seems quite positive: a selfless concern for the welfare of others. A more succinct definition is: a doctrine that holds that individuals have a moral obligation to help, serve or benefit others (if necessary at the sacrifice of self-interest). It sounds so right, so positive. Positivism is a view that reality only exists by means of a direct sense experience. It is a system of “positive philosophy” developed by August Comte (1779-1857). Comte concluded that all human understanding has passed through three stages. Those stages are; 1) the theological, 2) the metaphysical, and 3) the positivist (the ultimate culmination of wisdom).
As this is a blog about wisdom, some research about something that claims to be the ultimate culmination of wisdom is required. The 19
th century philosopher and sociologist, August Comte, advanced the three stages as a scientific method that has developed into a religion of humanity, a worship of mankind that eliminates God. The religious humanists documented their religious beliefs in a manifesto with 15 points:
1) Religious humanists regard the universe as self-existing and not created.
2) Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as a result of a continuous process.
3) Holding an organic view of life, humanists find that the traditional dualism of mind and body must be rejected.
4) Humanism recognizes that man's religious culture and civilization, as clearly depicted by anthropology and history, are the product of a gradual development due to his interaction with his natural environment and with his social heritage. The individual born into a particular culture is largely molded by that culture.
5) Humanism asserts that the nature of the universe depicted by modern science makes unacceptable any supernatural or cosmic guarantees of human values. Obviously humanism does not deny the possibility of realities as yet undiscovered, but it does insist that the way to determine the existence and value of any and all realities is by means of intelligent inquiry and by the assessment of their relations to human needs. Religion must formulate its hopes and plans in the light of the scientific spirit and method.
6) We are convinced that the time has passed for theism, deism, modernism, and the several varieties of "new thought".
7) Religion consists of those actions, purposes, and experiences which are humanly significant. Nothing human is alien to the religious. It includes labor, art, science, philosophy, love, friendship, recreation -- all that is in its degree expressive of intelligently satisfying human living. The distinction between the sacred and the secular can no longer be maintained.
8) Religious Humanism considers the complete realization of human personality to be the end of man's life and seeks its development and fulfillment in the here and now. This is the explanation of the humanist's social passion.9) In the place of the old attitudes involved in worship and prayer the humanist finds his religious emotions expressed in a heightened sense of personal life and in a cooperative effort to promote social well-being.10) It follows that there will be no uniquely religious emotions and attitudes of the kind hitherto associated with belief in the supernatural.11) Man will learn to face the crises of life in terms of his knowledge of their naturalness and probability. Reasonable and manly attitudes will be fostered by education and supported by custom. We assume that humanism will take the path of social and mental hygiene and discourage sentimental and unreal hopes and wishful thinking.12) Believing that religion must work increasingly for joy in living, religious humanists aim to foster the creative in man and to encourage achievements that add to the satisfactions of life.13) Religious humanism maintains that all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life. The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction of such associations and institutions with a view to the enhancement of human life is the purpose and program of humanism. Certainly religious institutions, their ritualistic forms, ecclesiastical methods, and communal activities must be reconstituted as rapidly as experience allows, in order to function effectively in the modern world.14) The humanists are firmly convinced that existing acquisitive and profit-motivated society has shown itself to be inadequate and that a radical change in methods, controls, and motives must be instituted. A socialized and cooperative economic order must be established to the end that the equitable distribution of the means of life be possible. The goal of humanism is a free and universal society in which people voluntarily and intelligently cooperate for the common good. Humanists demand a shared life in a shared world.15) We assert that humanism will: (a) affirm life rather than deny it; (b) seek to elicit the possibilities of life, not flee from them; and (c) endeavor to establish the conditions of a satisfactory life for all, not merely for the few. By this positive morale and intention humanism will be guided, and from this perspective and alignment the techniques and efforts of humanism will flow.
Ayn Rand, the atheistic author of the great novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED suggests that egoistic moralism, a moral duty to pursue one’s own interests is better than altruism. She also believed the 6th point, that God never existed and mankind created Him to explain things, but did not accept the 14th point, recognizing the loss of desire for improvements and productivity when there is no personal reward. All methods of establishing what is moral and immoral have to have a source for the determination.
Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. The Bible goes on to explain about the creation of mankind, the knowledge of good and evil, and the provided Messiah to restore the relationship between God and individual people. In many places it says wisdom is given by God, such as 1st Kings 3:29 that says “God gave Solomon wisdom and great insight and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore”. Proverbs 2:6 says “For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”. When each individual recognizes the sinful nature that came with the fall of mankind, and begins a relationship with God, through Jesus the Messiah, the choice of what is right and what is wrong is no longer theirs to choose.
That relationship, referred to as Christianity or a follower of Christ, is the motivation to be obedient to His commands summed up in Matthew 22:37-39 as love your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Loving your neighbor as yourself sounds like a selfless concern for others, the definition of altruism. Once you pull God out of the command, what’s left is loving your neighbor as much and to the degree that you love yourself. The purpose for doing so disappears with the removal of God, the source of the moral distinction. Altruism and the resulting religion and philosophy of humanism can only take place in the sense that you place yourself in the God role. As a god, the concern for others works alongside the perceived control of your surroundings. In Christianity, the love, obedience, and wisdom come from God.One view is wrong (the evil) and one view is right (the good).
Positivism requires a direct sensory experience, the science method. If it feels good, do it, was a mantra from the 1960’s that tried to measure morality that way. After thousands of years on earth, the ideas of recent decades and even centuries have to be measured against time. Loving your neighbor for Jesus is not the same as being altruistic for yourself. If God is the source of the moral distinction, salvation is required of sinful mankind, and Humanism is an evil lie and not the truth. If there is no God the explanations in the manifesto require that all humans to be good people pulling together for a common good. Even if their scientific method is used, the obvious evil in the world makes it wrong.
The next time you hear the word altruism used, remember the word of Jesus in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. John 18:37…”In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me”. The obvious evil makes the need for salvation and resulting loving obedience the right view. All 15 points in the Humanist Manifesto are WRONG. Throwing the word positive on top of it did not change it. Using a word like altruism is not the same as agape love for one another, just a lie in an evil agenda.
