Ethical Egoism: The Nature Philosophy Essay

     The descriptive claim made by Psychological Egoists is that humans, by nature, are motivated only by self-interest. Any act, no matter how altruistic it may seem on the outside is actually only a disguise for a selfish desire such as recognition, avoiding guilt, reward or sense of personal ‘goodness’ or morality. For example, Mother Teresa is just using the poor for her own long-term spiritual gain. Being a universal claim, it could falter with a single counterexample. And being that I believe this claim to be bunk I will tell you why!

Freire challenges the idea of true generosity versus false charity within Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968) where he says that “True generosity consists precisely in fighting to destroy the causes which nourish false charity. False charity constrains the fearful and subdued, the ‘rejects of life’ to extend their trembling hands” (p. 45). Freire is differentiating between true altruistic behaviors and

What if you only thought about yourself every day? What if you made no attempts to help a friend of family member in need? What if you did what was best for you and only you? Would you be able to live with yourself? The views of a psychological egoist have clear answers to the previous questions. A psychological egoist believe in just those sorts of behaviors. While in contrasting view of an ethical egoist believe in what we ought to do. These views were both demonstrated in the film “Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Each of those views make an impact on how one lives their lives, and the circumstances associated with each view. Taking a look at the differences and similarities of psychological egoism and ethical egoism is the first

The ethical egoist is one who believes that it is morally right to act strictly in one's own self-interest. Understandably, this belief poses a threat to social cooperation and, therefore, clearly introduces a significant political problem. I believe that the best example of ethical egoism is displayed in Book I of Plato's The Republic. In this Book, Plato introduces the idea of ethical egoism, explains the political problem posed by it, and addresses the problem through the words of Socrates. I will use this paper to explain and clarify the arguments for and against the concept of ethical egoism, with specific focus on the political problem it poses and the proper approach to addressing that problem, in terms of Plato's social

The next virtue, generosity is as important to the happiness and well being of a man’s mind as a hearty meal and exercise are to a man’s body. Without selflessness comes a loss of community and consequently, with a loss of community comes a decline in quality of life. With generosity, however, comes selflessness. The fulfillment that is gained from helping another human being is one of the purest forms of happiness that can be achieved. It is a broad, communal happiness that enriches the hearts of all involved. To live the good life is to be morally upright and to be morally upright is to help those around you simply in debt to the fact they need help, even if it is at some cost to you. Putting generosity on the backburner shows a wanting of concern for the well-being of the community and therefore obstructs happiness and delayed one's chance to taste the “good life.” from a utilitarian perspective a dismissal of generosity when generosity is possible can be akin to murder. Peter Singer gives a bright example of this when he equates not donating to a child in need to taking a child’s life for the purpose of trafficking their organs (Source 2). While one has a more sinister, direct, and clear motive with the other being

Being generous ensures success for all in a cooperative system. There is an exchange of giving and receiving within this system and as long as this is maintained, no one is placed at a disadvantageous position. Essentially,

On the other hand, ethical egoism is a theory that prescribes moral obligation, where all people should be motivated out of self interest (Rachels, 2003, p. 70). This means that every person ought to act in a way that is best for him/herself. Ethical egoism claims that it is moral for all of an individual’s actions to be based on self-interest, without concerning him/herself with the interests of others. In fact, this thought may be continued by stating that altruism is, therefore, personally hindering and even demeaning (Brink, 1997, p. 122). Hence, ethical egoism must consequently mean that actions taken in an individual’s self-interest are moral actions, and actions taken that are not self-beneficial to an individual are immoral and should, as a result, be avoided.

Since its initial launch in 1994, Amazon.com has now become the biggest e-commerce store in the world. Despite the slow start during its early years, Amazon has skyrocketed its growth around 2014 with its $90 billion revenue and 154,100 employees (“The Amazon Effect”). The increasing popularity of the company is backed up by its convenience and cheap factors that are present in e-commerce stores especially Amazon. The rapid and sudden grow of Amazon pushes the company to expand its factories and internal system. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, has been known for his powerful and authoritarian style of leadership. However, as of now, Amazon has raised several controversies regarding its actions from tax avoidances, predatory pricing, and the mistreatment of workers. These controversies grabbed a lot of attention especially for tech enthusiasts and engineers. Even though these controversies are generally labeled as misconducts and bad practices, it turns out these practices are not necessarily unethical when seen from the three ethical perspectives: Kantian theory, Utilitarianism, and Ethical Egoism perspective. These three common perspectives in the study of ethics can be used to evaluate the ethicality of the internal practices and effects of Amazon.

The following paper will investigate whether it is moral or immoral to apply 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.

Egoism can be described as the theory of solely acting towards the advancement and good of one’s own self, without any other causes for action. While egoism has been interpreted differently throughout history, the two variants of egoism conceived by Thomas Hobbes and Immanuel Kant are widely considered today to be theoretically bound and consistent. The egoism, described by Hobbes, conceives egoism as a fully psychological motive that is within the minds of all human beings, who think only of their own goals and interests and never of anyone else. On the other hand, the more standard or ethical variant, supported by Immanuel Kant, proposes that people should be motivated to a certain extent, regardless of the factors that currently

I prefer the egoism ethic over the others. I base my morality on my own self importance and self interest. When I’m making a decision I base it on what would be best for me and my well-being in the end. For example, I had applied to and was accepted to multiple universities away from home. For me, it was between a university or community college. I was able to get a scholarship at Triton which covered all costs except books and at the other schools I was able to get small scholarships that didn’t even cover half the cost; I chose Triton for this reason. My options were to have fun, leave home and be in debt for years following or to really work toward my degree for a small cost while still living at home and not have as much fun as my friends that went to

This is shown when Zeus and Hermes, who are disguised as beggars are welcomed into the home of Baucis and Philemon and even though the couple is poor, they are generous to the gods and share with them their food and wine. They are eventually rewarded for their generosity, but even when Zeus and Hermes revealed themselves, the couple thought that they hadn’t given enough to them. Everyone else in the town didn’t even let the beggars into their homes, much less give them food, wine, and a place to sleep. In the end, they are rewarded for their efforts and this demonstrates how giving and sharing your possessions with others will bring you happiness. This is shown today, especially in elementary school, whether it be with the “golden rule” which means to do to others what you want them to do to you. Another example of this in today’s society is the saying “sharing is caring.” This completely sums up how the interaction goes with Baucis and Philemon and the beggars. This may be part of the reason for why almost all of us need to complete service hours in schools. Service and giving to those in need is often associated with being a kind and generous person. This is directly connected to the myth Baucis and Philemon. In conclusion, many stereotypes that are often linked to being compassionate and kind hearted are portrayed in the myth and have been evident for thousands

In Plato’s The Republic, Socrates tries to explain the value of justice to man. Other educated Athenians challenge him, however Socrates pokes holes in all of their statements. Socrates argues that there are many problems with their views on social philosophy, especially when it comes to Thrasymachus’ idea of ethical egoism. Plato delivers his view of justice through Socrates when he responds to Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Cephalus on the issue. Throughout the discussion, Plato never argues against the egoism within humans, however he objects to the idea that the unjust man is better off then the just man; he believes that in order to reach eudaimonia justice is the self-interest that all men must follow.

Ethical Egoism is a normative claim; it believes that individuals should always in their best interest. Another view of ethical egoism is that a person should act according to his own self-interest even if it goes against the values and beliefs of others.

“People act for many reasons; but for whom, or what, do or should they act—for themselves, for God, or for the good of the planet?” (Moseley) An egoist would argue that one acts for one’s own self. More specifically, 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.