Part 5/9:
Philosophers have introduced concepts like the Doctrine of Double Effect, which posits that the morality of an action depends not just on its outcome but also on its intentions. Helping others with the goal of achieving happiness does not negate altruism if the primary goal remains to aid, and the happiness is an anticipated — not the intended — outcome. Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk and neuroscientist, succinctly encapsulates this idea in his book Altruism. Ricard states that the fact that helping brings joy is not contradictory to altruism; rather, it is a defining feature. To him, finding joy in aiding others is precisely what altruism entails.