>>67671741People do not follow codes of ethics, and certainly not by consensus. Large groups of people actually enjoy watching an isolated individual suffer more than they enjoy an isolated individual prosper.
Our society exists solely based on the programming we receive from our elders during our formative years. When we mature, we obey what amounts to a law of mutually assured destruction. The only reason you don't commit murder and incite chaos is because it increases the likelihood that you (or someone you care about) will suffer the same fate in turn. This is even more prevalent in this day and age when law enforcement are basically just uniformed gang members.
There is also no such thing as altruism, anyone who truly helps someone else at their own expense without any benefit at all, is simply insane. People who feel a rush of pleasure from helping someone at their own expense are not being altruistic, they are just enjoying their drug of choice. However, society doesn't really distinguish between the two, because it benefits in every scenario.