Within the dominant traditions of Western economics and political science, human nature has been conceptualized in an essentially egoistic, self-interested, and competitive manner. Instances of selfless and altruistic behavior present anomalies that have been difficult to explain away within this dominant paradigm. And yet, through a series of imaginative theoretical contortions, such behavior has been routinely explained away as self-interest in disguise.

A political psychologist named Kristen Monroe recognized the inadequacy of these explanations and decided to take a fresh look at the phenomenon of altruistic behavior.  She defined altruism as behavior intended to benefit others — generally strangers — even when the behavior entails possible sacrifice to the welfare of the actor. After studying numerous exemplary cases of such behavior in diverse cultural settings she found they could all be explained by only one common denominator: they were all motivated by a “perception of self in relation to others” in which the altruists were “strongly linked to others” through “perceptions of a common humanity.” In sum, Monroe found that ”altruists share of view of the world in which all people are one.”

Monroe’s work does not deny that egoism is an aspect of human nature. What it suggests, however, is that egoism — or self-interested action — is not the sum of human nature; and that altruism — or self-sacrificial action — cannot be explained away as egoism in disguise. Altruism is an equally real and equally significant expression of human nature. It is a latent human potential that is released by internalizing the principle of the oneness of humanity.

Monroe’s award-winning research provides a key insight into the algebra of agency and change. Oneness = altruism. The question before us is how to cultivate the consciousness of the oneness of humanity as widely as possible? This is a critical factor if we hope to move from a social order based on egoism to a social order based on altruism.