Enlightened Self-interest in Altruism (ESIA)

Altruism – the enigma of self-interest

The definition of altruism will be presented, highlighting the enigma behind this phenomenon in today’s highly competitive world of market economy. The growing challenges of hunger and poverty plague the world even as we entered the new millennium. As the gap between the rich and the poor widens, there is also a trend showing the increase of charitable acts and a growing interest in altruistic ...

Self-Interest, Altruism, Incentives, and Agency Theory

Many people are suspicious of self-interest and incentives and oppose motivating humans through incentives. I analyze the meaning of incentives in the logic of choice and argue that it is inconceivable that purposeful actions are anything other than responses to incentives. Money is not always the best way to motivate people. But where money incentives are required, they are required precisely ...

Altruism, self-interest, and energy consumption.

How can we encourage greater energy efficiency? Estimates that take account of behavioral plasticity—the ease with which actions can be taken—indicate that the United States could reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 7% if households adopted simple and money-saving efficiency actions (1). However, most households are not taking these actions despite the benefits for the environment and fo...

Altruism and self interest in medical decision making.

We seem to prefer that medicine and medical care be provided through altruistic motives. Even the pharmaceutical industry justifies its behavior in terms of altruistic purposes. But economists have known since Adam Smith that self-interested behavior can create large and growing social benefits. This is true for medical care as well as for other goods. First, I consider specifically the case of...

Advancing the population health agenda: uniting altruism and self-interest.