Trade
Animals manifest symbiosis, but trade is uniquely human.
A trade is an accord whereby each of two parties (the trading partners, not to be confused with business partners) achieves an aim not shared by the other.
Each party acts pragmatically, pursuing his own ends by technical means, including buying as cheaply, or selling as dearly, as possible, adjusting the other party to these ends.
These ends need not involve accord even mediately; they may pertain instead to other types of action.
Thus, a trader's specific motive in fulfilling his contract is pragmatic, to create confidence in his future performance and thus to incentivate others to trade with him.
There is also a more general, sunomilic, motive: the nurture of accord generally. This is why we should be honest in all conversation. If I achieve an aim by lying, my action may be effective, but my dishonesty violates geniality.
In trade, each maximises what he values, egoistic or altruistic. To this end he maximises his generalised power of future choice. Trade is a means to this end, and its effect is maximised by maximising profit. In altruism, an agapeical activity, one party helps another gratis. In trade, a pragmatic activity, parties converse to find such an arrangement. The purchaser buys as cheaply as he can and the vendor sells as dearly as he can; a price for any given commodity thus emerges, enabling prospective producers of a commodity to decide whether or not to produce it. Trade and altruism are compatible, each being appropriate in its own category of cases, sometimes between the same parties. If duty leads me to aid one who also happens to be a customer, I should not ordinarily mix the two realms by supplying my product gratis; instead I should donate cash, allowing my beneficiary to decide how that cash can best be spent. The only exception I can think of is the rare case that I happen to know that my product is exactly what is most needed, in other words, this is what he would buy anyway so it is easier all round to aid him in kind.
A trading session is an accord to seek a trade.
A business partnership is an accord to trade as a unit with third parties.
(Christian Socialism) "In Luke 6.33, Christ castigated the <I won't help you unless you help me> mentality."
Christ referred there not to trade but to neglect of generosity; there is no implication that pragmatic and agapeic acts should occur at the same time, or even in relation to the same selves.