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[[File:Belisaire demandant l'aumone Jacques-Louis David.jpg|thumb|Giving [[alms]] to the poor is often considered an altruistic action.]]
'''Altruism''' is the [[moral principle|principle]] and [[moral behavior|practice]] of concern for the [[well-being]] and/or [[happiness]] of other [[human]]s or animals above oneself. While objects of altruistic concern vary, it is an important moral value in many [[Culture|cultures]] and [[Religion|religions]]. It may be considered a synonym of selflessness, the opposite of [[selfishness]].<ref>{{
The word ''altruism'' was popularized (and possibly coined) by the French philosopher [[Auguste Comte]] in French, as {{lang|fr|altruisme}}, for an [[antonym]] of [[egoism]].<ref>{{multiref2
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}}</ref> He derived it from the Italian {{lang|it|altrui}}, which in turn was derived from Latin {{lang|la|alteri}}, meaning "[[alterity|other people]]" or "somebody else".<ref>{{cite book|last=Ciciloni|first=Ferdinando|title=A Grammar of the Italian Language|date=1825|publisher=John Murray|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/agrammaritalian00cicigoog/page/n81 64]|url=https://archive.org/details/agrammaritalian00cicigoog}}</ref>
Altruism, as observed in populations of organisms, is when an individual performs an action at a cost to itself (in terms of e.g. pleasure and quality of life, time, probability of survival or reproduction) that benefits, directly or indirectly, another individual, without the expectation of reciprocity or compensation for that action.<ref>{{
Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of [[loyalty]] or concern for the [[common good]]. The latter are predicated upon social relationships, whilst altruism does not consider relationships. Whether "true" altruism is possible in human psychology is a subject of debate. The theory of [[psychological egoism]] suggests that no act of [[sharing]], [[Helping behavior|helping]], or [[Self-sacrifice|sacrificing]] can be truly altruistic, as the actor may receive an intrinsic reward in the form of personal [[gratification]]. The validity of this argument depends on whether such [[Motivation#Incentive theories: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation|intrinsic rewards]] qualify as "benefits".<ref>{{
The term ''[[altruism (ethics)|altruism]]'' may also refer to an ethical doctrine that claims that individuals are morally obliged to benefit others. Used in this sense, it is usually contrasted with [[ethical egoism|egoism]], which claims individuals are morally obligated to serve themselves first.<ref>{{
[[Effective altruism]] is the use of evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to benefit others.<ref>{{
==The notion of altruism==
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