Avira, what is “pure altruism”? Is there impure altruism? For that matter, what is altruism? Auguste Comte defined it as giving without a thought of receiving anything in return. Ayn Rand accepted his definition and thus opposed altruism but added that getting a good feeling is a benefit and therefore giving charity in order to feel good about oneself (and presumably for a mitzvah in the case of a believing Jew, which she was not) is not altruism. Thus, she states that a man should risk his life to save his wife. Rashi, who presumably negates all charity not done for the sake of a mitzva, would probably agree with her but limit egoism to wanting to perform a mitzvah.
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