Ethical Egoism - 1596 Words

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself: Response to Ethical Egoism PHIL-122 22 March 2013 We are often taught at an early age that when struggling to make a decision to â€Å"let our consciences be our guides†. Conscience can be defined as our adherence to moral principles, or our considerations of fairness and justice. The word â€Å"consideration† is used because every individual has their own standards for what they feel to be morally right versus what they feel to be morally wrong, however this concept is not as black and white as it may seem. We accredit our moral considerations to many external and internal factors. An example of an external factor is government laws because they are predetermined rules about behavior and action that have†¦show more content†¦Self-esteem is achieved when we accept the fact that we were not put on this Earth to serve the demands of others and by doing so we surrender our lives to be used as property for the sake of another’s gain. Once these values can be grasped and understood and we learn to figh t for our personal happiness above all else will we â€Å"will learn to live like men† because we will accredit pride as the reason and sum of our virtues. Louis Pojman is a philosopher and critique of Rand’s theories on ethical egoism and her disregard for the similarities between selfishness and self-interest. â€Å"Ethical egoism is utilitarianism reduced to the pinpoint of an individual ego. Instead of advocating the greatest happiness for the greatest number, as utilitarianism does, it advocates the greatest happiness for my-self.† (Pojman, 542) Pojman criticizes Rand for her assumption that the only options to achieve morality are to either to be an absolute egoist or an absolute altruist, when there are a number of alternatives offered between the two. A person who is simply altruistic will not be able to achieve happiness solely through his attention to the needs of others; the same way a simply egotistic person will not be able to achieve happiness s olely through his attention to himself. While Pojman acknowledges that self-love and self-interest as positive attributes, he believed that they can morally detrimental if they are executed at the expense of others. HeShow MoreRelatedEthical Egoism vs Deontological Egoism2268 Words   |  10 Pages3) Can Deontological Egoism avoid all the problems that confront unconstrained ethical egoism? In this essay I will argue that Deontological Egoism can rescue Unconstrained Ethical Egoism from a large number of its problems and that DE offers a more plausible and attractive Egoism theory Understanding Moral theories The goal of a moral theory is to meet certain moral principles. Various principles are argued for to be included as moral principles within a workable moral theory. We therefore can analyzeRead MoreA Look At Ethical Egoism Essay933 Words   |  4 PagesA look at Ethical Egoism Introduced in 1874 by Henry Sidgwick in his book The Moral of Ethics, Ethical Egoism is an ethical theory that states that one ought to do what is in their best long term interest. This theory states that a morally correct being must in all cases do the thing that will give them the best result for their long term being. [1] Ethical Egoism stems from the idea that the self is the most important thing and that an ethical being has a moral obligation to do what is in theRead MoreThe Theory Of Psychological Egoism And Ethical Egoism Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesJames Rachels introduces in his written works, Egoism and Moral Skepticism, two different theories of human nature: psychological egoism and ethical egoism. The theory of psychological egoism refers to the view that all human actions are self-centered. On the other hand, the theory of ethical egoism is the idea that we are not obligated to do anything other than what is in our interest. Most individuals would consistently believe in ethical egoism because most generally care about the well-beingRead MoreEthical Egoism And The Ethics Of Care1845 Words   |  8 Pagesapply strong affirmative action programs at Lethbridge College in attempts to increase the representation of male registered nurses. Further investigation into the topic will be done through the application of ethical egoism and the ethics of care. Section A: Ethical Egoism Ethical Egoism is a normative theory which focuses on individualistic consequences (Burgess-Jackson, 2013). Everyone is said to be motivated by their own self-interest, as it is their moral obligation to do what is best for themselvesRead MoreThe Ethical Theory Of Ethical Egoism1423 Words   |  6 PagesEthical egoism is defined roughly by stating how people do things or react to what is in their best interest. This theory gets its meaning because the word â€Å"egoism† derives from the Latin term â€Å"ego†, meaning â€Å"I† in English (Moseley). The motivation of ethical egoism depends on how the situation will act upon one’s self-interest. In this paper, I am going to defend and explain that babies are born with morality of the ethical egoism theory. Ethical egoism stands out from the rest of the ethicalRead MoreEthical Egoism Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pagesspecifically, an ethical egoist is one who thrives to improve ones own self being, with much respect to morality. Ethical Egoism is the theory that one should pursue his or her own interest above all the rest. It is the idea that all persons should act from their own self interest in relation to morality. There are many different types of ethical egoism: Personal ethical egoism, Individual ethical egoism, Universal ethical egoism, Categorical egoism, and Hypothetical egoism. Personal ethical egoism is theRead MoreEgoism, Psychological And Ethical, And Altruism1141 Words   |  5 Pagesquestions bring to the surface the topics of egoism, psychological and ethical, and altruism. Egoism in general means that people think of their own advantage. They have high opinions of themselves and dote on themselves. Meaning they live and breathe off of self-praise. Most of the time this word has a negative connotation to it, and it is looked down upon (Flynn 459). Egoism falls into two categories: psychological and ethical. The term psychological egoism refers to the mindset that there is no suchRead MorePsychological and Ethical Egoism Essay1863 Words   |  8 Pages Egoism is a teleological theory of ethics that sets the ultimate criterion of morality in some nonmoral value (i.e. happiness or welfare) that results from acts (Pojman 276). It is contrasted with altruism, which is the view that ones actions ought to further the interests or good of other people, ideally to the exclusion of ones own interests (Pojman 272). This essay will explain the relation between psychological egoism and ethical egoism. It will examine how someone who believes in psychologicalRead MoreThe Theory Of Psychological And Ethical Egoism959 Words   |  4 PagesWhen looking at the ideas of egoisms, two major views come out in the form of psychological and ethical egoism. While both of the views hinge on the idea that everybody acts in their own self-interest, the major separator is that ethical egoist views their pursuit of their personal gain morally right (106), even if they have to kill or steal for it, compared to the psychosocial egoist who just state that the on ly thing that motivates humans is their self-interest while the moral standings stay theRead MorePsychological vs Ethical Egoism Essay1167 Words   |  5 PagesPsychological Egoism and Ethical Egoism: A Comparison Abstract There is a certain innate desire to help others, just as others will feel that same fulfillment for returning that aid. At the same time, however, there is also an inherent yearning to seek out one’s own best interest. This brings about a discussion regarding the difference between psychological egoism and ethical egoism. To understand the similarities and differences, one must first understand the two concepts including