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English 142
English 142
Altruism versus Self-Survival
Kenneth Spradlin
Tiffin University
April 17, 2013

Altruism is a set of guidelines that humans assume are the correct way to carry them-selves through life. However, it seems that when humans are faced with the need for self-survival, all morals are lost! Humans must show their present problems and sorrows and think less of them, so as to find hope in humanity. When humans are faced with great devastation, altruism will have a great part in making the world a better place to live, fore there is a thin line between altruism vs. self-survival. According to the novel, “The Road” (McCarthy C., 2006), the young boy showed altruism to the wanderer when sharing the food that he and his father had left, even though they were rationing their food for their own survival. One’s own survival that having the empathy for others in times of need, even when faced with a dire situation, is what humanity is about.
Many humans believe that altruism dictates behavior, especially when it comes to self-preservation. It is that individuals may feel when it comes to their own self-preservation that their values are lost. Although humans may have different ideas on humanity, there is a difference between humanity vs. self-survival. Humanity is equally important for the well- being of humans in general as to understand what compassion, empathy, and kindness mean to humans. Many overlook the standard rules of humanity, and basically is why individuals have no idea what humanity really is. Such applies as when humans are, while in the mode of self-survival, they are less likely to do the right thing. According to Darwin C., (2008 Biological Altruism: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), “Altruistic behavior is common throughout the animal kingdom and humans are much the same.” As with vampire bats that regularly regurgitate blood and donate it to other members of their group that have failed to feed at night, ensuring they


References: ABC News (2012) “Joplin Tornado”: Death and Destruction by the Numbers ABC News. April 2012.Web. 10 Aug. 2012. Charming Health, “After Shock Effects”, After Shock Effects or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome: Charming Health, 21 April 2010.Web. 10 Aug. 2012. Darwin C. (2012) “Biological Altruism”: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Oct., 2008. Web. 10 Aug. 2012. Freud S., Psychoanalytic Theory: Theories of Personality, Moodle. 10 July. 2007. Web. 10 Aug. 2012. Gonzalez, E. (2012) “Wall-E”: Slant Magazine/Film/Wall-E. June 2008.Web. 10 Aug. 2012. Hegland, J. (2006) “Into the Forest”: United States: Bantam, Print. n.a., (2012) International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences: “Natural Disasters”: Encyclopedia.com. April 2012.Web. 10 Aug. 2012. McCarthy, C. (2006). “The Road” New York: Vintage, Print. National Geographic, (2012) Worst Natural Disaster in the United States: “The Tornados of 2011” Apr. 2012.Web. 10 Aug. 2012. NOAA News (2012). Preliminary tornado statics including records set in 2011. National Weather Service, 20 Mar. 2012.Web. 10 Aug. 2012. Somatic Trauma Institute. Roots of Violence Track Back to Childhood Trauma. Violent Crimes. Trauma Institute. 30 July 2003. Web. 10 Aug. 2012.
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