ETHICAL EGOISM

EGOISM
• In philosophy, egoism is the theory that one’s self is, or should be, the motivation and the goal of
one’s own action.
• Egoism has two variants, descriptive or normative.
• The descriptive (or positive) variant conceives egoism as A factual description of human affairs.
That is, people are motivated by their own interests and desires, and they cannot be described
otherwise.
• The normative variant proposes that people should be so motivated, regardless of what presently
motivates their behavior. Altruism is the opposite of egoism. The term “egoism” derives from
“ego,” the latin term for “I” in english. Egoism should be distinguished from egotism, which
means A psychological overvaluation of one’s own importance, or of one’s own activities.
 1. DESCRIPTIVE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM

• The descriptive egoist’s theory is called “psychological egoism.”

• Psychological egoism describes human nature as being wholly self-centered and
self-motivated. Examples of this explanation of human nature predate the
formation of the theory, and, are found in writings such as that of british victorian
historian, Macaulay, and, in that of british reformation political
philosopher, Thomas Hobbes.
 2. NORMATIVE EGOISM

• The second variant of egoism is normative in that it stipulates the agent ought to
promote the self above other values. Herbert spencer said, “ethics has to
recognize the truth, recognized in unethical thought, that egoism comes before
altruism.
• The acts required for continued self-preservation, including the enjoyments of
benefits achieved by such arts, are the first requisites to universal welfare.
 A. RATIONAL EGOISM

• Rational egoism claims that the promotion of one’s own interests is always in
accordance with reason. The greatest and most provocative proponent of rational
egoism is Ayn Rand, whose the virtue of selfishness outlines the logic and appeal
of the theory.
 B. ETHICAL EGOISM

• Ethical egoism is the normative theory that the promotion of one’s own good is in
accordance with morality.
• In the strong version, it is held that it is always moral to promote one’s own good,
and it is never moral not to promote it.
• In the weak version, it is said that although it is always moral to promote one’s
own good, it is not necessarily never moral to not. That is, there may be conditions
in which the avoidance of personal interest may be a moral action.
 I. CONDITIONAL EGOISM

• A final type of ethical egoism is conditional egoism.

• This is the theory that egoism is morally acceptable or right if it leads to morally
acceptable ends.
• For example, self-interested behavior can be accepted and applauded if it
leads to the betterment of society as a whole; the ultimate test rests not on acting
self-interestedly but on whether society is improved as a result.
 3. CONCLUSION
• Psychological egoism is fraught with the logical problem of collapsing into a
closed theory, and hence being a mere assumption that could validly be accepted
as describing human motivation and morality, or be rejected in favor of a
psychological altruism (or even a psychological ecologism in which all actions
necessarily benefit the agent’s environment).
• Normative egoism, however, engages in a philosophically more intriguing
dialogue with protractors. Normative egoists argue from various positions that an
individual ought to pursue his or her own interest.