ALTRUISM AND MUTUAL ADVANTAGE

Altruism generally involves a conflict of interest between the potenti al altruist and the potential beneficiary. Contemporary moral and poli tical theory and contemporary American politics are partly in the grip of the principle of mutual advantage. Even theories of justice are ro oted in mutual advantage, which was the sole principle of Hobbes's jus tification of the all-powerful sovereign and the chief principle of Hu me's political theory. This principle, which is the collective implica tion of self-interest, seems to conflict with altruism arid with gener ally beneficent welfare policies.