Ethical egoism 9235 224450419 2008-07-08T22:04:11Z Jpoelma13 6874850 removed unnecessary words {{dablink|This article is about the ethical theory. For other uses of the term, see [[Egoism]].}} '''Ethical egoism''' is the [[normative ethics|normative ethical]] position that [[moral agent]]s ought to do what is in their [[self-interest]]. It differs from [[psychological egoism]], in that pyschological eogism is the claim that people can only act in their self-interest, while ethical egoism is a claim that they ought to act this way. Ethical egoism differs from [[rational egoism]], which holds that it is [[rational]] to act in one's self-interest, and [[individualism]], neither of which claim that acting in one's self-interest is necessarily right. Ethical egoism contrasts with ethical [[altruism (ethics)|altruism]], which holds that moral agents have an [[obligation]] to help or serve others. Ethical egoism does not, however, require moral agents to disregard the well-being of others, nor does it require that a moral agent refrains from considering the [[well-being]] of others in moral deliberation. What is in an agent's self-interest may be incidentally detrimental to, beneficial to, or neutral in its effect on others. It allows for the possibility of either as long as what is chosen is efficacious in satisfying self-interest of the agent. Ethical egoism is sometimes the philosophical basis for people's support of [[libertarianism]] or [[anarchism]] (though anarchists, except anarcho-capitalists, believe that people do have a duty to help others).{{Fact|date=June 2008}} These are political positions based partly on a belief that individuals should not coercively prevent others from exercising freedom of action. ==Types of ethical egoism== Three different formulations of ethical egoism have been identified: individual, personal and universal. An ''individual ethical egoist'' would hold that all people should do whatever benefits ''him'';<ref>Waller, Bruce, N. 2005. 'Egoism'. In ''Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contenporary Issues''. New York: Pearson Longman: 81.</ref> A ''personal ethical egoist'', that ''he'' should act in ''his own'' self-interest, but makes no claims about what anyone else ought to do, while ''universal ethical egoists'' argue that everyone should act in ways that are in their own interest.<ref>Waller, Bruce, N. 2005. 'Egoism'. In ''Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contenporary Issues''. New York: Pearson Longman: 83.</ref> A philosophy holding that one should be honest, just, benevolent etc., ''because'' those virtues serve one's self-interest is egoistic; one holding that one should practice those virtues for reasons other than self-interest is not egoistic at all. == Proponents == {{Unreferencedsection|date=February 2008}} [[Max Stirner]] was the first philosopher to call himself an egoist. Others, such as [[Thomas Hobbes]] and [[David Gauthier]], have argued that the conflicts which arise when people each pursue their own ends can be resolved for the best of each individual only if they all voluntarily forgo some of their aims &mdash; that is, one's self-interest is often best pursued by allowing others to pursue their self-interest as well so that liberty is equal among individuals. Sacrificing one's short-term self-interest in order to maximize one's long-term self-interest is one form of "[[Rational selfishness|rational self-interest]]" which is the idea behind most philosophers' advocacy of ethical egoism. Noted egoist [[Ayn Rand]] contended that there was a harmony of interest among humans, so that a moral agent could not rationally harm another person. As Nietzsche (in ''[[Beyond Good and Evil]]'') and [[Alasdair MacIntyre]] (in ''[[After Virtue]]'') are famous for pointing out, the [[ancient Greeks]] did not associate [[morality]] with altruism in the way that post-Christian [[Western civilization]] has done. [[Aristotle]]'s view, for example, is that we have duties to ourselves as well as to other people (e.g. friends) and to the ''[[polis]]'' as a whole. The term ''ethical egoism'' has been applied retroactively to philosophers such as [[Bernard de Mandeville]] and to many other [[Dialectical materialism|materialist]]s of his generation, although none of them declared themselves to be egoists. Note that materialism does not necessarily imply egoism, as indicated by [[Karl Marx]], and the many other [[materialist]]s who espoused forms of [[collectivism|collectivist]] altruism.{{Who|date=February 2008}} == Criticisms == Some contend that the view is implausible<ref>"It seems to me this is just obviously wrong". [http://home.sprynet.com/~owl1/rand.htm#5.3.2 Michael Huemer on the ''Objectivist in a hurry'']</ref><ref> "For example, if it is in your best interest to obtain ten million dollars, and a practically risk-free opportunity to embezzle that much money arises, then on egoistic principles, where every ethical action is governed by what is best for the individual, it would seem that the ethical thing to do would be to embezzle. And this seems obviously wrong." [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/stephen_parrish/viable-values.shtml Stephen Parrish's review of ''Viable Values'' by Tara Smith]</ref>, and that those who advocate it seriously usually do so at the expense of redefining "self-interest" to include the interests of others<ref>"But other [of Ayn Rand's intellectual heirs], such as David Kelley and Tibor Machan, see that there is at least something wrong with "egoism" as Rand construed it". [http://www.wirkman.net/twv/altar.shtml wirkman Virkkala ''At the Altar of the Ego'']</ref>. An ethical egoist might counter this by asserting that furthering the ends of others is sometimes the best means of furthering one's own ends, or that simply by allowing liberty to others one's self-interest is resultantly furthered. Ethical egoism has also been alleged as the basis for [[immorality]]. For instance, [[Thomas Jefferson]] wrote in a letter to [[Thomas Law]], in 1814: {{blockquote|Self-interest, or rather self-love, or '''egoism,''' has been more plausibly substituted as the basis of [[morality]]. But I consider our relations with others as constituting the boundaries of morality. With ourselves, we stand on the ground of identity, not of relation, which last, requiring two subjects, excludes [[self-love]] confined to a single one. To ourselves, in strict language, we can owe no duties, obligation requiring also two parties. Self-love, therefore, is no part of morality. Indeed, it is exactly its counterpart.<ref>Jefferson, Thomas. June 13, 1814. ''The Moral Sense''. Teaching American History (accessed 3 Aug 2007) [http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1506]</ref>}} Ethical egoism is opposed not only by altruist philosophies, but is also at odds with the majority of [[religion]]s. Most religions hold that ethical egoism is the product of a lack of genuine spirituality and shows an individual's submersion in [[Greed (emotion)|greed]]. Religious egoism is a derivative of egoism where the faith is used to validate one's self interest.<ref>http://atheism.about.com/b/a/021490.htm</ref> ==Footnotes== {{ISBN|date=February 2008}} {{reflist}} == References == {{ISBN|date=February 2008}} *Baier, Kurt. 1990. "Egoisim" in ''A Companion to Ethics'', Peter Singer (ed.), Blackwell: Oxford. *Hobbes, Thomas. 1968. ''Leviathan'', C. B. Macpherson (ed.), Harmondsworth: Penguin. *Rachels, James, and Stuart Rachels. '5. Ethical Egoism'. In ''The Elements of Moral Philosophy''. (5th Edition). New York: McGraw Hill: 68-88. *Rand, Ayn. 1964. ''The Virtue of Selfishness''. Signet. *Rosenstand, Nina. 2000. 'Chapter 3: Myself or Others?'. In ''The Moral of the Story''. (3rd Edition). Mountain View, Calif: Mayfield Publishing: 127-167. *Waller, Bruce, N. 2005. "Egoism." In ''Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues''. New York: Pearson Longman: 79-83. ==External links== *{{sep entry|egoism|Egoism}} *[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=egoism+ Merriam-Webster Dictionary entry for ''egoism''] [[Category:Normative ethics]] [[Category:Anarchist theory]] [[da:Etisk egoisme]] [[de:Ethischer Egoismus]] [[es:Egoísmo moral]] [[is:Siðfræðileg sérhyggja]] [[he:אגואיזם אתי]] [[no:Egoisme]] [[pl:Egoizm etyczny]] [[fi:Eettinen egoismi]] [[sv:Etisk egoism]]