 Created by Auguste Comte to support his theory of positivism  Individuals have a moral obligation to help, serve, or benefit others, if necessary at the sacrifice of self interest. In other words: you live for the sake of others

 Consequentialist believe that an action that benefits the most people is the morally right action to take  Utilitarianism also states that the best course of action will bring the most good to society ◦ By doing what is good for everyone a person is building up units of happiness (happy points) If you act against the benefit of all then you will decrease your units of happiness

Mr. Scrooge in a Christmas Carol is very unhappy until he begins giving away his wealth and helping the less fortunate

 Friedrich Nietzsche held that the idea that to treat others as more important than oneself is degrading and demeaning to the self.  Ayn Rand believed that if you sacrificed yourself for others you were destroying the best parts of yourself to serve people who would only abuse you ◦ The policies of the Soviet Union and Nazis Germany used the idea of Altruism to encourage their people to work for the benefit of each other to improve the state