This question, like many philosophical questions, is simply a sematic argument. Saying that “nobody ever does anything altruistically – it’s always for a reason” simply is arguing that cause and effect exists. Yes, the reason why people perform acts of altruism is because they want altruism to occur. If the argument is “nobody ever does anything altruistically – it’s because they think they will gain personally”, this again ignores the fact that the expected “gain” might simply be a good feeling or a nearly imperceptible improvement in one’s own quality of life because the general welfare has been improved.
What people *want* this to mean is “all charity is a sham” – probably because this is a helpful route to vague attacks on society or religion.
