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Altruism, self-control, and justice: What Aristotle really said

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2003

Graham F. Wagstaff
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZA, United KingdomGWF@Liverpool.ac.uk

Abstract

As support for his position, Rachlin refers to the writings of Aristotle. However, Aristotle, like many social psychological theorists, would dispute the assumptions that altruism always involves self-control, and that altruism is confined to acts that have group benefits. Indeed, for Aristotle, as for equity theory and sociobiology, justice exists partly to curb the unrestrained actions of those altruists who are a social liability.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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