Elga Graves
Sectarianism
There is a crime against
humanity on our doorstep.
It is time to name it
The Cafe
Those trams again
If you want to run away
and never be seen again,
don’t come here
Gerard Rochford
The July poem
Anthony Seaton
Robin Downie, in his article ‘Is the doctor more altruistic than the butcher?’ (20 July) seems to err from strict logic by confusing the general and the particular and, in quoting the OED, he is perhaps a little disingenuous.
Altruism is defined as: ‘Regard for others as a principle of action; unselfishness’, not as ‘A principle of regard for others’. Few would deny that altruism is a part of most people’s personality or that in many it guides some of their dealings with their fellows. Some rare individuals lead exemplary lives wholly determined by their altruism and such may be found in all walks of life. In most of us, I regret to say, altruism appears but occasionally and selfishness may in some be the dominant determinant of action, often justified in terms of doing the best for our families.
The professions of medicine and the priesthood are almost alone among occupations in having altruism as their guiding principle of action, in that graduates are required to affirm a commitment to it. This does not mean that as individuals they have to be completely unselfish, and clearly some are more so than others. Some even forget their commitment, in which case they are subject to serious sanctions. It is this commitment to altruism in all one’s dealings with those who seek one’s help that is the feature of medicine that attracts many young people into what is a very demanding and stressful occupation.
Sir Harry Burns gave an answer to the question of what attracted him to medicine that I hope most doctors and medical students would give. In simple terms, even in these selfish times most of those entering medicine in this country do so in order to try to help others. The challenge is to adhere to this and resist the temptations offered by commercial opportunities as politicians try to change the ethos of the NHS.
