--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Altruism demands that an individual serve…" description: "\"Altruism demands that an individual serve others, but doesn’t stipulate whether those others should be one’s family, or the homeless, or society as a w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/andrew-bernstein-29505_altruism_altruism-demands-that-an-individual-serv_2715260.png" --- # Altruism demands that an individual serve others, but… ![“Altruism demands that an individual serve others, but doesn’t stipulate whether those others should be one’s family, or the homeless, or society as a whole. Collectivism states that, in politics, society comes first and the individual must obey. Collectivism is the application of the altruist…” quote by Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/andrew-bernstein-29505_altruism_altruism-demands-that-an-individual-serv_2715260.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/andrew-bernstein-29505_altruism_altruism-demands-that-an-individual-serv_2715260.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/andrew-bernstein-29505_altruism_altruism-demands-that-an-individual-serv_2715260.png) > “Altruism demands that an individual serve others, but doesn’t stipulate whether those others should be one’s family, or the homeless, or society as a whole. Collectivism states that, in politics, society comes first and the individual must obey. Collectivism is the application of the altruist ethics to politics.” [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Altruism applied politically becomes collectivism, prioritizing society over the individual. **In simple terms:** Altruism in politics equals collectivism. Key Takeaway Balance personal rights with societal duties. Themes politics ethics collectivism Mood analytical serious Type philosophical academic When to use this quote - Government - NGOs - community projects Key Concepts Moral philosophy social contract public policy Questions to Reflect On - How should societies balance individual and collective needs? - What ethical limits exist for altruistic politics? A Different Perspective Collectivism can suppress individual freedoms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Altruism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altruism/) [Collectivism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectivism/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Homeless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeless/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“Now I don’t see anything evil in a desire to make money. But money is only a means to some end. If a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/now-i-don-t-see-anything-evil-in-a-desire-to-make-money-but-money-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [We cannot fight against collectivism, unless we fight against its moral base: altruism. We cannot fight against altruism, unless we fight against its epistemological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-cannot-fight-against-collectivism-unless-we-fight-against-its/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“If the foot had never realized it belonged to the body, & that there never was a body on which it depended, if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/if-the-foot-had-never-realized-it-belonged-to-the-body-that-there/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [The three values which men held for centuries and which have now collapsed are: mysticism, collectivism, altruism. Mysticism - as a cultural power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-three-values-which-men-held-for-centuries-and-which-have-now/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Do you know that my personal crusade in life (in the philosophical sense) is not merely to fight collectivism, nor to fight altruism? 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Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) ## More by Andrew Bernstein > [“The bad news is that, measured in terms of geologic time, if the Earth’s history is an accurate guide, glaciers will soon return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/the-bad-news-is-that-measured-in-terms-of-geologic-time-if-the-earth/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [Many argue that Christianity is "different" from other religions - that it is primarily about love of one's fellow man. 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Stark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/theologians-and-religionists-in-general-start-with-a-fantasy-premise/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [Here is the tragedy of theology in its distilled essence: The employment of high-powered human intellect, of genius, of profoundly rigorous logical deduction—studying nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/here-is-the-tragedy-of-theology-in-its-distilled-essence-the/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) [Explore all 18 Andrew Bernstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) ## More Altruism quotes > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. 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