Altruism

Altruism is a basic human need. It exists on the instinctual level as, for example, a mother or father's protectiveness; on the rational level in group endeavours depending on teamwork, and in the buddy-system during battle. It is evident on the spiritual level in the artists' need to express beauty for the benefit of others or in the vocational call felt by some doctors to heal, or by others to teach, etc.

Altruism is suspect by its recipients and often by society at large. Insofar as altruism is based on sentiments liable to change, it is an unstable foundation for anything beyond short- range activities.

In modelling how social agents capable of exchanging benefits may choose compromise and cooperation over continued confrontation, the participation of non-discriminating altruists (who help everyone) slowly inches out the discriminating cooperators, allowing defectors (confrontationists) to take over.