Altruism and the Beneficent Virtues

Abstract

Both Maimonides and Gersonides describe the universe as originating from God for no self-interested benefit, but derive different human lessons from God’s altruism. For Maimonides, the overflow to others is an outcome of one’s own perfection causing humans to feel the impulse to imitate God’s loving kindness and spread the “overflow” of their private contemplation through forms of political leadership. In contrast, Gersonides’ altruism is not merely a passive outcome of one’s own perfection, but is an active duty. Furthermore, it takes the form of a nonpolitical universal and altruistic ethics whereby humans are obliged to cultivate the virtues of loving kindness (ḥesed), grace (ḥanina) and beneficence (haṭava) in knowledge and action.