Our Helpful Relatives

Sharon Begley, in Newsweek, is going on about how scientists have discovered "selfless altruism" among chimps.

Selfless altruism... that's the bestest kind, of course. It was surely what August Comte had in mind when he coined the term.

Apparently there is also "selfish altruism," where you help somebody because they might help you back someday.

By the way, the chimps will only act with "selfless altruism" when they aren't "preoccupied with getting food for themselves."

When there's chimp food to be chomped,
They're not big fans of Comte.