The pragmatist in me views altruism as a noble, but unfortunately difficult pursuit, and wonders how feasible it really is. The cynic in me believes altruism to be an expression of my genome, an unconscious drive to do what is best for the propagation of my species, and by extension, life itself. The altruist in me sees these two, and smiles with gentle understanding.
Cynicism. Pragmatism. Altruism.
Three pillars of humanity. Three mortal enemies. Three bound together for all time.
I believe that altruism will come out on top, eventually, because living in a universe where altruism is not possible is untenable. Should we ever find ourselves in a world where nature itself fundamentally prevents altruism, we face a binary choice: Self-destruction, by means of literal death (or self-modification to an unrecognisable degree), or transcendence above nature, with the goal of changing the fundamental structure of reality.
I choose the latter, not through spirituality or prayer, but through the rigorous and methodical application of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I must engineer a better world, because the one I emerged into is not kind, and it destroys everything in due time. It exerts a constant pressure against the altruist to concede defeat, it begs the pragmatist to betray the altruist, and it feeds the cynic endlessly.
As the pragmatist watches on, and sees this system play out, they can do only one thing.
Adapt.
We will change the world. We will change ourselves. We will change everything. We will not accept the situation as is; instead, we will remake reality, not in our image, but in the image of a pragmatist choosing altruism over cynicism.
One question remains in my mind. If we do have such power, and engineering history suggests perhaps we do, what limits us? I have often wondered what is the path of altruism, not momentarily or incidentally, but in general. I wonder, beyond the abstract moral systems of consequentialism and deontology, beyond the ethical meta-analysis of Kohlberg, and beyond the spiritual warmth of mysticism, what actually limits us? What is the ultimate restricting factor for altruism?
I don’t have an answer yet, but today I considered a new perspective:
The motivated altruist reaches a point where their own actions reach a pragmatic optimum and all that limits them is the cynicism of others. In essence, the altruist in a world of cynics can only go so far. In recognising this, if they truly are the altruist, then all they can seek at that point is altruism for others. I believe the question is no longer what should one individual do, but what can we all do to help others answer the question for themselves. Maybe together we can find a better answer than a single mind can.
All this to say, in a world of cynics, the altruist faces an uphill battle, but in a world where society fosters altruism and rewards it, where altruism is not a noble unattainable deed, but a standard norm, the altruist can go far. Creating that world is the task of the pragmatist, the dream of the altruist, and the hidden hope of the cynic.
The only remaining question, is how.