Now back to my favorite subject: ME! EGOISM Now back to my favorite subject: ME!

“Look out for #1—and there is no #2” What is the most selfish act you can imagine? Why is this the most selfish? Do you find this act morally objectionable? If so, why? What specifically is objectionable about it?

Egoism is a theory of ethics that sets as its goal the benefit, pleasure, or greatest good of oneself alone. Egoism holds that it is our moral duty, as unique human beings alone in the world, to look out for ourselves. It is often contrasted with altruism, which takes as its goal the interests of others, and is often thought of as selflessness. SOURCE: http://webs.wofford.edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism.htm

Adam Smith on Egoism and Altruism It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others and render their happiness necessary to him though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.

Psychological Egoism This is the claim that humans are naturally motivated by self-interest and can’t be expected to act otherwise. Any act, no matter how “altruistic,” can be traced to a self-interested motive. This is a descriptive claim about human nature. Since the claim is universal--all acts are motivated by self interest--it could be proven false by a single counterexample. SOURCE: http://webs.wofford.edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism.htm

Find Examples of Self-Interested “Altruism” I rescue my child from falling down stairs, heedlessly injuring myself in the process. What do I gain? You help a friend move into her new apartment. What do you gain? We donate money to the United Way. What do we gain?

Ethical Egoism This is the claim that individuals should always to act in their own best interest. It is a normative claim. SOURCE: http://webs.wofford.edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism.htm

Rationales for Ethical Egoism If I don’t act in my own interest, who will? Who knows my interests better than I do? I should do what I want, because that’s what I value most. If I act in the interests of others, they may become dependent on me, and that’s demeaning and disrespectful to them. If I satisfy my own interests, and everyone else does the same, then everyone will be better off because society will run more efficiently.

Three Forms of Ethical Egoism I am going to act in my own interest, and I don’t care what other people do. (personal ethical egoism) I am going to act in my own interest, and everyone else should too. (individual ethical egoism) Every person, including me, should act in his/her own interest. (universal ethical egoism) SOURCE:http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:q11djNEDRfQJ:ethics.sandiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+egoism+philosophy&hl=en

Ethical egoism and psychological egoism are logically incompatible Ethical egoism and psychological egoism are logically incompatible. The ethical egoist chooses to pursue self-interest and feels that he/she should do so; but psychological egoism claims that people cannot help but act like egoists.

Minimalist Egoism Not a normative claim and usually not a descriptive claim. It is a minimalist assumption used for certain calculations, e.g., the economics assumption that people “act rationally in their own self-interest.” If we assume only self-interest on the part of all agents, we can determine certain extreme-case (e.g., maxi-min) outcomes for the model. SOURCE: http://webs.wofford.edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism.htm

The fine print … If I am an egoist, I have a duty to myself to develop those parts of my character that enable me to pursue my well-being. I can justify altruistic activities, like caring for others, because they ultimately benefit me. The society in which egoists live will be determined by rules that egoists agree to. It is not necessarily in my best interest to promote my own well-being above that of all others (especially regarding the use of violence against others, stealing from and deceiving others) because if I take these actions others are likely to take similar actions and I may be harmed. but if I am faced with something that I really want (if I am an egoist) I may be willing to lie, cheat, steal or even use some violence. This is a dilemma for the egoist, because others will try to act that way too, to get what they want, and that’s not in MY interest. SOURCE: http://www.lcsc.edu/cascade/ns350/egoism.htm

Egoism … PRO Altruism is demeaning (Nietzsche). Acting selfishly creates a better world: Who knows what I need better than I do? Why make people dependent on me? Acting selfishly doesn’t change the world at all (it’s the natural way). SOURCE:http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:q11djNEDRfQJ:ethics.sandiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+egoism+philosophy&hl=en

Egoism …. CON Egoism can’t be consistently universalized (we saw this already). Egoism presupposes a world of strangers indifferent to one another. Friendship and love are ‘difficult to imagine’ in an egoistic world. Egoism seems to be morally insensitive. What about children, or the disabled? Do we ever care about others for their own sake? SOURCE:http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:q11djNEDRfQJ:ethics.sandiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+egoism+philosophy&hl=en

Self-Interest isn’t such a bad thing. Actions in self-interest are not necessarily selfish actions. It is in your self-interest to obey the law, to exercise, and to enroll in college, but no one would claim that it is selfish for you to do so. Actions in self-interest and actions for others are not exclusive categories. It is false that every action is done from either self-interest or other-regarding motives. Some people smoke or drink too much, and these actions are in neither category. Actions in self-interest are not necessarily incompatible with the interest of others. If you are to help others, you must be in a position to do so. I.e., in many instances, you have to help yourself first. SOURCE: http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/egoism.html

Egoism and Freedom Modern egoistic philosophy is often associated with radical free-market individualists such as Ayn Rand, with anarchist thinking such as that of Max Stirner, and with the bitter musings of Nietzsche. It is a threadbare view of the individual’s relationship to society – the less, the better, because the moral life is lived free.

Think About Friends…. Do you have any friends or acquaintances who act like ethical egoists? Does this present any special problems or issues in your relationship with them? Can an ethical egoist be a good friend? Why or why not?

If friendship involves (among other things) being concerned about other people for their own sake, then this seems something beyond the reach of the egoist. Ethical egoists can help their friends if they believe there is a long-term payoff for doing so. SOURCE:http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:q11djNEDRfQJ:ethics.sandiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+egoism+philosophy&hl=en

Now Think About CEOs…. How would an ethical egoist view the controversy over CEO compensation?