Altruism In William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation

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Psychology Today claims humans perform good deeds because of human nature. Altruism can be defined as the practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others. However, in today’s society, performing good deeds seems to be questionable. Do people really do good deeds, and do they sincerely execute their actions? Puritan philosophy, which appeared in the early 1600s, people only executed good deeds because they feared not being rewarded. Humanist philosophy, which emerged in the early 1700s, insisted that people perform good deeds because they want to make the world a better place. In many occasions, people seemingly perform good deeds because they fear they will not reap the benefits later on; however, in some instances, people who think …show more content…
Throughout William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, these principles have been exemplified through the use of biblical references. The Puritans fulfilling good deeds to receive recognition can be demonstrated by the tale of, “…a lusty young man called John Howland, coming upon some occasion above the gratings was…thrown into sea; but it pleased God…yet he lived many years after and became a profitable member both in church and in commonwealth” (Bradford 70). In this anecdote from Of Plymouth Plantation, Bradford portrays John Howland as willing to suffer for his people so that they might live. Howland can be compared to a Christ figure, due to Christ suffering so that the whole world could live; and as a result of Howland’s bravery, he gets to live without worry. This particular anecdote about Howland could also be viewed as an example of exemplification. Howland performed the good act to save his fellow people, and in return God blesses him in other aspects of his life. The Puritans based their livelihoods among some common ordinances: if they performed good deeds, they would rewarded; if they did not perform good deeds, they would be punished by God later on. By the Puritans basing their livelihoods upon these principles, they indeed performed many acts of kindness, but in reality, they only did them just because they feared the
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