Daniel Batson, in a recent book, says that there are four distinct sorts of motivation for (at least seemingly) moral behavior. These are: egoism; altruism; collectivism; principle. Suppose something simple – I’m nice to an intern who’s just come to work in my office. I don’t expect this person to do menial errands for me, although I could get away with that, and I give him/her challenging assignments that serve as an intro to a career like my own – which is presumably what interns want, and why they accept long hours for low pay. So, I’m acting morally. But why? Any one of the items on Batson’s typology could apply. I might be egotistically motivated here. The intern may some day become a big success in the industry, and I may be glad at that time that he/she has fond memories of me. Or maybe I have a beneficial relationship with the intern's uncle. Either way, I'm p utting something in the favor bank. Or, I might just want the intern to have a wonderful ...
