From: ibshambat@gmail.com

Any number of people believe that altruism leads to totalitarianism. As someone wrote, “Wanting to save the world is a front for wanting to rule it.” It is time that this argument seriously be addressed.

What we see here is a confusion between a value and the misuses of the value. Anything that has appeal to people can be used for wrong. This also includes moral values such as altruism and patriotism. That Stalin appealed to the value of altruism to
create a brutal totalitarian state does not damn altruism; it damns Stalin.

We see the same thing with beauty. Seeing abuses of beauty by ignorant teenage cultures and unscrupulous plastic surgeons, feminists decided that the problem was with beauty. They were wrong. These phenomena do not own beauty, and beauty itself is
innocent of their misdeeds. Giving these things credit for beauty gives them too much credit. Beauty existed before they existed; it will continue existing after they are gone.

In my experience of altruistic organizations I did not find totalitarianism. Salvation Army does not seek to put anyone into a labor camp. Once again, it is possible to appeal to any value to do wrong. That does not discredit the value, it discredits its
misuse.

So it is important to separate the grain from the chaff. There are legitimate places for altruism, that do not involve totalitarian conduct. Salvation Army has no interest in totalitarianism. As for altruism, it is itself innocent of its misuses by
people like Stalin, and equating it with its misuses gives these people far more credit than they deserve.

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From: ibshambat@gmail.com

Ayn Rand made a mistaken equation between altruism and Communism. Seeing abuses of Communism, she came up to the idea that altruism as such is evil. She was wrong.

Anything that carries any kind of appeal to people – moral, intellectual, physical or anything else – will have all sorts of people wanting to exploit it. If people have altruistic ideals, it is very likely that some jerk will come all along and
pander to them, then take them into a bad place. That Stalin pandered to altruistic ideals to create a barbaric order does not impugn altruism; it impugns Stalin.

A similar error has been made by feminists. They saw abuses of beauty by stupid teenagers and unscrupulous plastic surgeons, and they decided that the problem was with beauty. It is not. Once again, anything that has appeal to people will see people
wanting to use it for wrong. The problem is not with what has appeal, but with those who use it for wrongdoing.

Intelligence can also be used for wrong things; but that does not make intelligence bad. Money can also be used for wrong things; but that does not make money bad. Patriotism can also be used for wrong things; and that does not make patriotism bad either.

Same with just about anything that is out there.

The problem therefore is not with altruism, as Ayn Rand claimed. The problem is with those who exploit it. That there are corrupt charitable organizations does not damn generosity either. It damns those who take good values and then use them to do wrong.
Same is the case with altruism.

Stalin does not own altruism, and Communism does not own altruism. There are plenty of altruists who did actual good and were no part of any kind of tyranny or corruption. Stalin used altruism for wrong. That does not damn altruism. It damns Stalin.

Separate what's true from what's not true. Altruism can most certainly be used for wrong; but so can such things as beauty, intelligence and money. None of these things are in themselves bad. These are things that carry appeal. And anything that has any
kind of appeal will see some opportunist wanting to use it for wrong ends.

Beauty is not bad; intelligence is not bad; money is not bad. Neither is altruism. The problems are with those who use these things for wrong. Do not equate altruism with Stalinism. Do not equate beauty with unscrupulous plastic surgeons or stupid
teenagers either. All of these things can be used for wrong. That does not make any of them bad.

https://sites.google.com/site/ilyashambatthought

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