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.s
andiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt
+egoism+philosophy&hl=en

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.s
andiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+e
goism+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.s
andiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+e
goism+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 selfinterest 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.s
andiego.edu/presentations/Theory/EthicalEgoism/EthicalEgoism.ppt+e
goism+philosophy&hl=en
Now Think About CEOs….

How would an ethical egoist view the
controversy over CEO compensation?