Most of the interpretations of empathic behaviour suggest that we help others because ‘there’s something in it for us’. It may be because we anticipate rewards of some kind, such as praise from...

Most of the interpretations of empathic behaviour suggest that we help others because ‘there’s something in it for us’. It may be because we anticipate rewards of some kind, such as praise from others, an increase in our own sense of esteem, or a reduction in our (empathic) suffering. Or, it may be because we are genetically programmed to engage in behaviour that will ultimately benefit our own survival or the propagation of our genes. Thus, most explanations suggest that we intervene for our own benefit, not out of genuine altruism. Consider some possible situations. Some wealthy individuals donate large amounts of money to charities, while making sure that their donations are highly publicized (possibly even expecting a building to be named after them) – but sometimes donations are anonymous. Or, consider that individuals sometimes risk their lives in emergencies, such as running into a burning building to rescue strangers, and report afterwards that they even didn’t think about the risk to themselves. Do you think genuine altruism is possible? Explain why or why not.