There are, of course, different notions that have been labeled as agape, but in this paper I want to discuss a familiar one, the type of altruistic beneficence which directs an individual to act wholly for the sake of others. I will argue that under the usual conditions of human existence this beneficence can be understood as a supplementary ideal or as a way of life adopted by an agent because he or she values it more than the goods provided by the network of rights established by morality and law. If, however, the conditions of human life were to change in certain ways, then the status of altruistic beneficence could change as well; indeed, it could be adopted as the sole norm of conduct and character. Just how changes in the conditions of human existence are related to the status of agape and other norms is what I propose to explore.