The Conceptual Construction of Altruism

Abstract

I offer an appreciation and critique of Ernst Fehr’s altruism research in experimental economics that challenges the “selfishness axiom” as an account of human behavior. I describe examples of Fehr’s experiments and their results and consider his conceptual terminology, particularly his “biological” definition of altruism and its counterintuitive implications. I also look at Fehr’s experiments from a methodological perspective and examine his explanations of subjects’ behavior. In closing, I look at Fehr’s neuroscientific work in experimental economics and question his adherence to a subjective expected utility interpretation of subjects’ behavior.