Egoism is the position that people are fundamentally motivated by concern about their own welfare, and that all of their actions are directed toward this end. Altruism, on the other hand, is a concern for the welfare of others. Whether altruism is possible, or whether all apparently altruistic actions are simply disguised instances of egoism, is a long-standing question.
The most common .
argument in favor of egoism is that even the most altruistic actions still provide some benefit to the actor. For example, helping someone in distress makes a person feel good about themselves. Therefore, their actions were motivated not by altruism, but by a desire to feel like a good person.
Those who defend altruism argue that the satisfaction of helping others is a side-effect of the altruistic action, and not the sole motivation. Just because someone enjoys helping others does not mean that their motives are not altruistic.
More Reference Links: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/egoism/ http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/is-pure-altruism-possible/
