Unit4
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Unit 4 Essay
Egoism is a theory of ethics that sets as its goal the benefit, pleasure, or greatest good of the oneself alone. It is contrasted with altruism, which is not strictly self-interested, but includes in its goal the interests of others as well. There are at least three different ways in which the theory of egoism can be presented.
Psychological egoism is the claim that humans by nature are motivated only by self-interest . Any act, no matter how altruistic it might seem, is actually motivated by some selfish desire of the agent (desire for reward, avoidance of guilt, personal happiness). This is a descriptive claim about human nature. Since the claim is universal, all acts are motivated by self interest. However, it could be proven to be false. It will be difficult to find an action that the psychological egoist will acknowledge as purely altruistic, however. There is almost always some benefit to ourselves in any action we choose. For example, if I helped my friend out of trouble, I may feel happy afterwards. But is that happiness the motive for my action or just a result of it? Perhaps the psychological egoist fails to distinguish the beneficial consequences of an action from the self-interested motivation. After all, why would it make me happy to see my friend out of trouble if I didnt already have some prior concern for my friends best interest? Wouldnt that be altruism?
Ethical Egoism is the claim that individuals should always to act in their own best interest. It is a normative claim . If ethical egoism is true, that appears to imply that psychological egoism is false. There would be no point to saying that we ought to do what we must do by nature. But if altruism is possible, why should it be avoided? Some writers suggest we all should focus our resources on satisfying our own interests, rather than those of others. Society will then be more efficient and this will better