Here is another idea which you might possibly need to hear.
Re: the study on altruism.
It doesnt seem to occur to anyone here that humans could very well be in the process of transcending their baser animal natures. There are shining examples among us in history of those who have begun to break out. Naturally, the bulk of humankind lag behind these leaders and demonstrate an obstinancy towards change, and therefore represent a drag on the process. Any study done without taking into account anyone known for exceptional altruism is quite naturally going to find that humans are selfish.
BTW, Tell me why it should be assumed that there is no such thing as altruism based on a random selection of college students??? We are talking about half-formed adults here. And that is the final word on a half-formed species?
The Eastern Orthodox have a concept called theosis, whereby human beings undergo a process of becoming more like God and less like our base nature through communion with God who is the ideal of everything good that we would ever want to be or possess. The idea is not unheard of in other religions but the Christian emphasis on the idea that servanthood is the ultimate expression of godliness gives it a unique twist. In other words, the goal of transcendence is not to leave the world, or material nature behind but to become its perfect loving servant. I believe this is the working understanding of all the Christian saints known as such for their charity, that they are transcending the norm and thereby doing their part to uplift the world out of selfishness.
I think there is some evidence that this process has been helped along by such saints of altruism. Giving alms was at one time rarely praticed. It is now something of a norm even if most people just do it because it is expected of them. That is a change even if it merely represents a single step. C.S Lewis spoke about the concept of playing at something in order to grow into it. In other words, this phase where most people give because it is expected of them, may very well be followed some day by a pioneer generation which will largely reject charity as formality and will instead raise charity to a new level, a higher norm.
I mean who are we to think that what we are now as a race, much less a tiny random sampling of same, is all that we will ever be? Who are we to say that we will never be more than what we are today? Who are we to say that we are nothing more than our evolutionary past and that exceptional people are not instead representatives of the future? We simply can’t.
I think it is a huge mistake to assume that we can.
