Introduction to Ethics-Egoism

Permissible (an action that is not wrong to perform)

*Obligatory: An action that must be performed (i.e. that is wrong not to perform) *Neutral: an action that is neither right nor wrong to perform *Supererogatory: an action that morally exceeds what is obligatory

Problems with Egoism

1. One problem egoism faces is that we naturally act in ways contrary to how egoists think we should. More specifically, we are often motivated by our feelings of empathy for others, including animals. EXAMPLE: There have been many instances where people have saved strangers from accidents (such as drowning or car crashes) without a second thought about their own safety. 2. Another potential problem for egoism is that it seems to be missing out on a major part of our ethical experience. At some point in your life you've probably been concerned about what obligations you have to other people EXAMPLE: If someone gets great pleasure from torturing innocent people (without getting caught), then the egoist would not only say it's okay, but would actually say that they should do it.

Support for Egoism

1. One way that self-interest is central is that we all must act in our own interests just to survive. But just because something comes naturally to us doesn't mean we should do it: If all humans naturally ate each other, would that make it right? Or you can think about it this way: Just because we don't naturally fly, does this mean we shouldn't fly? 2. There are points in history where self-interested action has brought about development in society. (Scientifically) 3. Another reason to think self-interested action is desirable is that action done in the service of others sometimes stops societal progress. EXAMPLE: The drugs produced by scientists for pharmaceutical companies are mostly shaped by other peoples' interests, rather than the scientists' interest in doing research. That's because these companies develop drugs in the interests of the stakeholders.

Which of the following statements supports egoism?

ALL BELOW: -It is a natural reaction in all humans to avoid pain or suffering. - Important innovations are often made by those seeking their own self interests. -Society benefits when individuals succeed.

Which of the following represents a difficulty with egoism?

ALL BELOW: -Respect for all people is often thought of as a good thing, but it is inconsistent with egoism. -Empathy is often thought of a a good trait, but it's not consistent with egoism. -Selfless heroism is often respected and admired, but it's not consistent with egoism.

Choose the action that is supported by egoism, but might seem unethical.

ALL BELOW: -Taking credit for work that your colleague completed, so you can impress your boss. -Hiring a company to clean your neighbor's lot without their permission so your property value will increase. -Protesting a family who has rented an apartment in your building because you do not want them as neighbors.

Impermissible

An action that IS wrong to perform

Obligatory:

EXAMPLE: If you could pass off your colleague's work as your own to get a promotion, and there was no possibility of being caught, the egoist would say that you must do it because it would be in your own interest to do so. Of course, if it was likely that you would get caught, then you could lose your job. In that case, it wouldn't be obligatory because being unemployed is against your interests.

Which of the following statements about egoism is true?

Egoism is both a theory about how things are and about how things ought to be.

Which type of egoism is the theory that humans should act according to their own best interests?

Ethical egoism

Egoism Ethical egoism is the only ethical theory that says what is good is the same as what meets the self-interest of individuals.

Ethical egoism: A relativist theory of ethics that maintains that right and wrong are relative to self-interest. EXAMPLE: You could think that we should act out of self-interest because that's the best way for everyone to be happy; or you might say that we should be self-interested because nobody should be obliged to help anyone else. Both views expressed in the above example would belong to egoism, despite their differences. For this reason, egoism is a family of ethical theories.

Neutral:

For an egoist, a neutral action is one that neither works in favor of your interests, nor goes against them. EXAMPLE: If you had half an hour to burn before meeting your friend, it would make no difference whether you order a tea or a coffee while waiting. Assuming you had no strong preference for one or the other, choosing either would be neutral according to the egoist.

Impermissible

For an egoist, something is impermissible if it goes against the interests of the individual. EXAMPLE: If the goal I care most about is becoming an athlete, then eating junk food and lazing around on the couch is against my interests and thus impermissible according to the egoist.

Which of the following scenarios would be impermissible for an egoist?

Hailey donates 10% of her paycheck to help feed the hungry out of a sense of duty, even though she would prefer to keep the money.

Which of the following scenarios would be neutral for an egoist?

Ignatius wants to see two movies, but only has time for one, so he flips a coin to decide.

Which of the following scenarios would be obligatory for an egoist?

Jeanney steals her neighbor's newspaper because she doesn't want to pay for one herself.

Which type of egoism is the theory that humans are only capable of acting in their own self interest?

Psychological egoism

Psychological Egoism and Ethical Egoism

Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory that says people are self-interested, whereas ethical egoism is a normative theory that says people ought to be self-interested.

Permissible (an action that is not wrong to perform)

Something is permissible if it does not go against the interests of the individual. EXAMPLE: If you help your new neighbors move in, then they will probably offer you a hand when you need it at some point in the future. In the long run you might get more benefit from social cooperation than from isolating yourself from others. Such a beneficial cooperation would thus be an example of a permissible action for the egoist.

Application of Egoism:

The actions would have been evaluated in the following way: The act of becoming a doctor would be neutral according to the egoist, as long as it is neither more nor less beneficial to you than studying for another profession. The act of choosing cardiology because of the pay and respect that comes with this position is obligatory for the egoist since it's in your self-interest to do so. The act of carrying on your training for the benefit of others, even though you don't like it, is impermissible for the egoist because you would be acting against your self-interest.

Egoism and Applied Ethics

The moral permissibility of damaging the environment Environment: If damaging the environment harmed your own living conditions, then it is wrong. But if it doesn't, then it is fine. The moral permissibility of abortion Abortion: If having a child works against your interests, then you should have an abortion, according to the egoist. The moral permissibility of torture Torture: If you get pleasure from torturing other people, then an egoist would say it's your duty to do so because it benefits your self-interests.

According to egoism, all of the following are important ideas to consider on the issue of gun control laws in the United States, EXCEPT __________.

an individual has an obligation to consider the safety of others

Supererogatory:

it isn't clear how the egoist will respond. If they say it's your duty to act in your own interests, what would it mean to do something over and above your duty? Perhaps it would mean an obsessive pursuit of self-interest, to the point where you force yourself to ignore any sympathy you may have for other people. For instance, if pursuing self-interest is obligatory, why shouldn't obsessive pursuit of self-interest be obligatory anyway? It seems that the egoist must answer that it is obligatory, thus getting rid of supererogatory actions.

Cheating on one's spouse is widely rejected in most societies. How might an egoist complete this statement? Cheating on your spouse is permissible if __________.

nothing bad happens to you as a result

You are a mechanic who can make more money by diagnosing and repairing nonexistent car problems. How might an egoist complete this statement? Charging people for unnecessary repairs is __________.

wrong, because running an honest business will earn you more money in the long run