Philanthropy vs Altruism

The highly explosive liquid nitroglycerine was invented in 1847, but it was so dangerous and unpredictable that it was thought to be practically useless.^[1] That is, until Alfred Nobel became curious about it. He explored how it could be used in construction. His experimentation cost the lives of several people, including his younger brother. But he figured out a way to control the substance as an explosive for blasting rock. He called his invention dynamite.

Alfred went on to create more inventions and was the holder of 355 patents during his lifetime. He could have spent the whole of his resources on himself—but dynamite began to be used in warfare. He became overwhelmed by guilt and fear of what his innovation could do, which empowered him to pursue peace.

When he died in 1895, he left most of his fortune to the establishment of the Nobel Prize, including the Nobel Peace Prize. This is what he’s most known for today.

Alfred Nobel left an enduring legacy. People today refer to his altruistic spirit and philanthropic efforts.

What’s the difference between altruism and philanthropy?

What is Altruism?

The word altruism derives from the French word autrui, meaning “other people.” It should be no surprise that it’s defined as “unselfishness and devotion to the welfare of others.” This could be doing a kind act for someone else without expecting anything return.

Practically, I think of altruism as living each day taking advantage of God-given opportunities to do selfless acts for others.

There’s no better example of altruism than Jesus Christ. He was radically others-centric. He never saw people as an interruption. Jesus lived selflessly and met the needs of people he encountered—whether feeding the hungry or sharing truth with the spiritually hungry. That’s altruism in action. And he gave his life to save us from our sins (1 John 3:16).

What is Philanthropy?

The word philanthropy traces its origins to Latin and the Greek word philanthrōpia, which means “love or kindness to mankind.” It’s similar to altruism. But think of philanthropy as investing in causes that benefit others, usually to improve the public good.

Many philanthropic causes take the form of private initiatives, like The Giving Pledge where billionaires and millionaires pledge to give the bulk of their fortune away. But anyone can be a philanthropist. Philanthropy—at its core—is helping those in need. Being generous with your time and resources isn’t reserved for the rich and famous. It’s for you. It’s for me.

Good Works as an Overflow of Love

1 John 3:17 says, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

Nothing has changed in 2,000 years since John wrote this. It’s human nature to hoard our money and store our belongings for our own needs, security, and comfort. But John is saying that our love and care for others is the fruit of our faith—including love for those we may never meet. When we’re generous, we put the heart of God on display to those in need.

In fact, it’s inconsistent with our faith to lack charity and provision for those in need. A selfish, loveless Christian is an oxymoron. Jesus made this radical statement in Matthew 25:40: “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” When we minister to the downcast and hurting, we minister to Christ himself. For the Christian, altruism and philanthropy are expressions of our love for God. Believers who have experienced God’s love through the Gospel should have a burning desire to help others. This calling isn’t reserved for the rich or the political elite. No, generosity is for every follower of Christ as an expression of the Gospel transformation we’ve experienced.

[1] https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobels-life-and-work/#:~:text=Alfred%20invents%20%E2%80%9Cdynamite%E2%80%9D,invention%20was%20made%20in%201866.