【英语时差8,16】不可多得的美德—利他主义

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Pope Benedict XVI warned in his Christmas message that the world was headed toward ruin if selfishness prevails over solidarity¹ during tough economic times for rich and poor nations. His message cautioned the people of the world not to be selfish. "If people look only to their own interests," the Pope said, "our world will certainly fall apart." Indeed it will.

Altruism² is a rather new word for unselfishness, coined by 19th century humanist philosopher Auguste Comte as an alternative to egoism, which means putting oneself above all else. Whether put in simple or philosophical³ terms, unselfishness is a virtue⁴ that would ultimately benefit everyone concerned. As the current economic crisis shows, no one can win if they are only thinking about what they can get for themselves now and don't consider how their actions affect others or the world around them.

Particularly in Taiwan, where the rich and the powerful are posing as role models, people have learned that selfishness seems to pay. Ask a delinquent⁵ college student how often he has wronged others. He will probably tell you, "whenever I want to." Our students should be taught to not just look at their immediate⁶ wants and needs, but also to consider the needs of others.

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