Final answer:
Altruism refers to selfless helping behavior motivated by genuine concern for others, while egoism involves self-motivated helping with an underlying self-interest. The correct response to the student's question is a) Altruism; egoism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Altruism refers to pure, undiluted helping behavior, whereas egoism refers to self-motivated helping. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question would be a) Altruism; egoism.
Altruism is characterized as the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. It is a prosocial behavior that can be motivated by empathy, which is the capacity to understand another person's perspective and feel compelled to help out of genuine concern for their welfare. Altruism can lead to actions where the costs of helping others may far outweigh the personal benefits. This contrasts with egoism, particularly ethical egoism, which suggests that human beings are always motivated by self-interest, even when performing acts that appear altruistic. According to this view, any helping behavior would ultimately be for the individual's own benefit, whether directly or indirectly.