Jane Austen and Altruism

<p>Jane Austen and Altruism identifies a compelling theme namely the view that Jane Austen propounds a rigorous boundary-sensitive model of altruism that counters the human propensity to selfishness and promotes the culture of cooperation. In her days altruism was commonly known as benevolence charity or philanthropy and these concepts overlap with Auguste Comte’s later definition of altruism as otherism. This volume argues that Austen’s thinking co-opts the evolutionary idea that altruism is seldom truly pure egoism cannot be eradicated and boundless group altruism is not sustainable. However given that she comes from a naval and clergy family she witnesses the power of wartime patriotism the Evangelical revival the Regency culture of politeness and the sentimental novels. In her novels she locates human relationships along an altruism continuum that ranges from enlightened selfishness to pathological altruism. Unconditional love is hard to find but empathy kin altruism reciprocal exchange and group altruism are key to the formation of self-identity family community and the nation state.</p>