I. Definition and Key Ideas The word altruism literally means “other-ism”; and it is the philosophy of doing things purely for the benefit of others, without expecting to get anything out of it yourself. Example Donating your money or time to a charity or to help someone, without trying to get recognition for it. Philosophers and psychologist debate whether true altruism exists, and how it could be possible to observe or detect it—because the crux of the arguments is whether a person’s motivations are truly altruistic or not. After all, people who help others often report that the experience is fulfilling and helps them feel good about their lives and themselves; therefore, they get some benefit out of it.  Does that still count as altruism? We’ll explore this problem throughout the article.   II. Altruism vs. Compassion Altruism and compassion are related concepts. Compassion is the ability to feel the pain and happiness of others, and truly to care about the well-being of others. When we see someone devastated by loss or sadness, we feel some of that pain ourselves; and when that person gets help and starts to smile again, we have an urge to smile ourselves; that’s part of compassion—empathy—feeling other’s feelings.  But compassion also includes feeling motivated to help others, just because you want them to feel good.  It’s one of the most basic concepts in every world religions and widely considered to be a key element in living a meaningful, fulfilling life. Compassion is not the same as altruism Compassion is the feeling that motivates altruism. With altruism, you act generously and helpfully to others without expecting any benefit for yourself.  This may seem difficult if you don’t have great compassion; not difficult to help people, but difficult—some say impossible–not to want to get something for yourself. Many philosophers argue that altruism is not a helpful concept. It doesn’t matter, they argue, if you also gain some benefit or happiness from helping