The Conditions for Altruism

Listening to a live performance (on one of my favorite Rhode Island Radio Stations-WRIU) of Gregory Porter’s No Love Dying and the crowd’s reaction at the end of the song, I came upon the thought that this idea of feeling a part of “something greater than ourselves” and how important it is for the success of our species, is rather easy to manufacture. If it needs manufacturing at all.

Aren’t the people cheering at the conclusion of a song, moved beyond something other than themselves? Haven’t they engaged in a song/music community? Have they not left their own head –between their own two ears to be a part (the very word necessitates “other”) of something beyond their individual body/mind? Haven’t they served witness to the engagement with the surroundings? But, it may be retorted, is this communal experience enough to facilitate this greater than ourselves feeling? Could the community experienced at a music concert be considered equal to ourselves and not solicit the kind of altruism associated with the greater than ourselves sentiment?

No. To exist is to exist as a being-in-the-world. Surrounded. Always. By the world, by others. And this environment (umwelt) is not experienced atomistically, moment by moment needing to be accumulated ex post facto; no, the environment is experienced in a totality, as a gestalt, as a figure-ground, with the figure and the ground forming the phenomenological, perceived world that is always greater than and always a part of the perceiver, always a member of the team, always an inescapable family member, tribe member, nation member, species member, universe member. 

So, this feeling doesn’t need manufacturing for altruism. Feeling a part of something greater than ourselves is the default setting. 

The question at hand is why there isn’t more altruism. Another point to ponder is if this inescapable feeling a part of something greater than ourselves is in fact, the very reason there isn’t more altruism.