Altruismo, simpatía y comportamientos prosociales en el análisis económico
ISSN: 1698-7616
Year of publication: 2006
Issue: 4
Pages: 55-72
Type: Article
More publications in: Principios: estudios de economía política
Abstract
The present paper develops a critical review of the main theories that have incorporated the altruistic behavior in the economic analysis. After identifying the main limitations of these theories, we propose an alternative perspective to the selfishness as the motivation of human actions. Our approach allows us to raise the altruistic hypothesis as an integrated solution to the conflict egoism-altruism and as a starting point to consider the interrelationship between Ethics and Economics. This view incorporates the relational dimension of men, which has a clear precedent in Adam Smith's Theory of the Moral Sentiments.