A fundamental concept not only to free-markets but to much of human interaction is that of self-interest; or, as Adam Smith refers to it in his work "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" (1759): "self-love". Selfishness is also an important concept that must be differentiated and expressed in terms so as to not confuse the two as if they are purely derived from and interchangeable to one another. Accordingly, it is the goal of this article to differentiate the concepts of self-interest and selfishness: to praise the concept of self-interest as the moral drive for approbation and admiration, and to admonish selfishness as the motivator of immorality and hedonism.
